Lost Angel
by JasperCanBiteMeAnyday
Summary: After the Volturi defeat the Cullens, Aro takes Renesmee, who is thought to be dead, back to Volterra and secretly raises her. Years later, when her old life is just a forgotten memory, she goes on a trip to America and runs into a heartbroken boy whom she feels drawn to. How can Jacob remind her of who she really is, and how will Renesmee deal with realizing the truth of her past?
1. Chapter 1

"Humans are so… strange."

"Agreed."

"Why did we come here again?"

"Because Aro is more strange."

Jane frowns at me. Her loyalty towards the man I consider to be practically my father is fanatical, and she refuses to so much smile at any of my many quips towards him lest her obedience be questioned.

"Agreed." Alec chimes in with a high-pitched, girly voice and I punch him on the arm lightly.

He grins as I say, "That isn't even how I talk."

"Well that's what the world hears, short stuff." He ruffles my already messy copper-colored curls and I cringe away and swat at his hand.

"You'd better back off before these idiotic humans think you're raping her." Jane says and I can just picture her crimson eye roll beneath her darkly tinted Ray Bans. Alec stops his tormenting, but childishly sticks his tongue out at me and I even more childishly return the gesture.

"Half-breeds.." Alec scoffs with a disdainful shake of his head, pretending to be so much better than me.

"Vampires.." I mimic his posture, voice tone, and head shake perfectly. We have a brief stare off and then burst into laughter at exactly the same moment.

Alec flashes me his charming, heartbreaker smile that I'm sure has made zillions of girls go weak at the knees, including myself. While there has never been anything more than friendship between Alec and I, I can't deny that his smile does get to me and I find myself feeling a little light-headed on occasion. And, truth be told, I've always suspected Alec of having a bit of a crush on me these past few years since I've grown up from cute little girl to pretty teenager.

"Well the real reason that we are here is because I need a break from that stuffy old castle and I don't know of a better way than a Blink 182 concert." I clarify to Jane as we continue our walk down the busy street.

"But why _here_? I'm sure Blink 182, whoever the hell that is, has other concert locations, correct?"

"What's wrong with Seattle? I like it here. It's two continents away from Volterra, provides a nice overcast sky for those of this party that tend to, you know, burst into sparkles in sunlight," I give a pointed look at my two companions, "and something about this area just feels.. I don't know, homey I guess." I smile and look around, hardly noticing the worried look Jane and Alec share.

"Trust me, you would get bored around here soon enough. And you know you'd miss me." Alec grins again and I roll my large brown eyes.

"Whatever. I'm starving. I'm going to find something to eat, you two go get us a car." I instruct as if I have any measure of authority over the two most powerful vampires in the world. The looks they both give me say as much but they comply nonetheless.

"By 'get a car' do you mean legally or illegaly..?" asks Jane.

"Well considering you're both fifteen, there's not really a legal way. Besides I doubt you'll do whatever I say – I'm sure if Alec sees something he likes he'll probably just take it." I tease lightly.

Alec stares at me for a moment with an intensity that I'm not used to receiving from him and then says, "Probably."

"Well just call me whenever you're done with your little half-human thing or whatever," Jane says and waves her hand dismissively before linking her arm with Alec's and turning them around. They head off in the opposite direction.

I survey the stores around me wondering where I should go to find something decent to eat.

I end up in a small café buying a wrap and a large tea. I am balancing that and my cell phone while trying to shove my credit card back into my wallet and walk out of the store at the same time when suddenly I collide into a wall.

My tea spills down the front of my dress, I drop my wrap on the floor, my phone goes skidding beneath a nearby table, and my wallet falls as all the random coins in my wallet roll around the reastaurant. I give a startled yelp and begin to teeter backwards.

I would've caught myself (that's what vampire grace is for, right?) but I didn't have to because suddenly two pairs of strong, warm arms are around me. It wasn't a wall I ran in to – no, it was a person.

But not just any person. He's a boy, or more like a man, probably a few years older than me. Maybe early twenties. He's much taller than me, and muscular in a natural and completely sexy way. It's unfair to be that sexy, a safety hazard really – it could cause unsuspecting teenage girls in small cafes to swoon. He has short cropped black hair that falls into his forehead and smooth, coppery skin. Being surrounded by deathly pale vampires all the time, skin as tan and colored as his is quite attractive. My eyes lock with his. They're endless pools of melted dark-chocolate with flecks of other shades of brown and thick black lashes.

His gaze is so intense it causes butterflies to swarm my stomach. Electricty prickles the areas of my skin that are in contact with his. A blush rises to my cheeks as I realize I'm still in his arms.

"Oops, sorry," I break the heated stare he had fixed on me as I stand up on my own. "I'm so clumsy."

The stranger's eyes are as large as dinner plates as he assesses me again. I'm used to males being startled by my beauty, it's a natural reaction to females with immortal genes, but he doesn't look just startled.. He looks absolutely shocked.

"Renesmee?" he whispers. With that single, strange name, an image rushes through my head: a small, dimply hand running through coarse russet-colored fur. My eyebrows knit together in confusion. Suddenly this boy seems a lot more familiar.

"I'm sorry.." I murmur. "I think you might have me confused. My name is Juliet."

The boy's face grows even more confused. "Juliet?"

"Um.. Yeah. Maybe I could know your name too?" I ask with a somewhat flirty smile. He may be human, but he's more attractive than any vampire I've ever seen. As long as I'm away from Volterra to have fun, why not actually have a little fun?

"Jacob Black." he tells me, almost looking as if he expects me to know the name. Admittedly, the name does have an effect on me. I've heard it before, somewhere.. But I mean, I've come to America before and it can't be that uncommon of a name.

"It's nice to meet you, Jacob."

"You too.. Juliet." He looks almost uncomfortable saying my name.

"Well, I have to go, my friends are waiting for me." I say a little dejectedly. I was hoping more would come from this. For a moment there, when he called me by that other name, he had looked at me as if he might be interested. Hell, he had looked at me as if he was a blind man seeing for the first time.

"Wait," he calls in an almost desperate tone as I begin to push open the door of the café. I turn halfway back around, my interest in him fading fast. He may be handsome, but he's also incredibly strange and looks can only take you so far.

He seems to fumble for something to say. "I- I'm really sorry about your, uh, dress." he gets out after a second. I look down and see my designer summer dress, which is meant for weather much warmer than this, stained down the front with tea. I had forgotten about that. "And you probably don't want to forget these." he adds as he bends down and picks up my wallet and retrieves my cell phone for me.

I walk back over to him with a smile. At least he's starting to act normal. And is being a gentleman. "Thanks," I tell him, sliding both of the objects into my purse.

"I know we just met, but there's this concert tonight.."

I interrupt with, "Blink 182?"

"Yeah, you know them? I'm going, and I have an extra ticket if maybe you wanted to join me." he offers with a boyish grin.

"I'm actually already going with my friends, sorry. But maybe we'll see each other there." I give him one last flirtatious smile and a small wave as I exit the café.

As I'm walking away I hear with my ears of a vampire as he whispers in a dazed voice, "Hopefully."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So sorry everyone! First of all I wasn't getting email updates telling me people had reviewed so I thought no one was into the story! Also I locked myself out of my laptop for a while on accident... o_O Anyways, enough of my lame excuses. I hope my infrequent updates haven't scared you guys away! I'll update more often, promise!

"This is disgusting," Jane hisses under her breath as she gets jostled by drunken humans.

"And loud," adds Alec, wincing slightly at the pounding beat of the bass.

I grin tauntingly and pinch his cherubic cheek. "Awh does wittle Awec not like the big boom boom?"

He growls playfully and dodges away from my grip. "Oh shut up, Jules, I've seen you cringe a few times." I scowl at him and he chuckles.

"I'm going to go get a soda, you guys want anything?" I ask, having to repress a giggle at my own completely lame joke. But I can't stop myself from laughing at the blank looks they both give me, looking like the spitting image of each other. "Kidding, kidding.." I sing quietly as I walk away from them and slip through the swaying masses of people.

When I walk out into the hallways I am met with cool, fresh air and a volume about a hundred notches quieter. I walk towards the concession stand but before I make it to the short line I spot a muscular, tan figure leaning languidly against the wall.

Jacob starts when he sees me. Then he walks towards me with a big grin on his face as if we've known each other all our lives. I have the urge to smile back for some reason, but I repress it by thinking of how odd it is to behave in such a way towards someone you really don't even know. But although that's definitely odd, it's no where near as odd as the first thing that came out of Jacob Black's mouth: "I've been waiting for you."

Now let me be perfectly clear. I am most assuredly one of those girls that falls for corny lines, loves romantic mush, can be swept off her feet with just a look, believes in love at first sight, and am totally for swift romances that seem to blossom overnight. But this is _not_ that scenario. I met Jacob a few hours ago for a grand total of less than five minutes. In that time I learned his name and that he is good at helping out complete strangers. Did I fall in love with Jacob when my eyes met his while he was holding me in his arms? Not exactly, although I will admit that I felt inexplicably drawn to him. Did I spend time afterwards thinking about him? Of course, what teenage girl in her right mind wouldn't. But did I feel the need to track him down and pretty much stalk him at a concert where he would be with his friends? No. No I did not.

"Oh.." I stutter, feeling extremely creeped out. "And uh.. Why'd you do that.." Please tell me I did not pick myself up a new stalker on my first day here.

"Shit," Jacob mutters under his breath, squeezing his eyes closed for a fraction of a second. "Forget I said that. I'm really not some creepy stalker," he guesses my thoughts exactly, "I just wanted to give you this. I think it fell out of your wallet at the restaurant." Jacob holds out a small plastic card towards me, not daring to take a step almost as if he's afraid I'll run away screaming if he moves too quickly.

"Oh wow thanks," I go and retrieve my credit card, which is also my main source of funds, from him. "You're sort of a life-saver, Jacob Black, you know that?" I smile at him, pulling my wallet out and sticking the card in it.

Jacob snorts and mutters, "You have no idea," almost as if there's some inside joke I'm missing out on.

"Maybe I could get your number, you know, in case any more dire emergencies occur and I need your assistance." My smile turns flirty and I run a hand through my curls shyly.

"I was sort of hoping you'd ask so I don't seem like any more of a stalker than I already do," he says with a grin and then programs his number into my phone.

"I don't think you seem like a stalker," I tell him, only lying a smidge, "I think you've been very.. sweet." Now that is the full and honest truth. If there's one thing Jacob has been, it's most definitely sweet. He saved me from falling on my butt in the middle of the café after I caused a head-on collision with him, stopped me from forgetting my cell phone and wallet, and has probably missed a good portion of the concert just to return my credit card to me.

"I know you said you're here with your friends, but is there any way you'd be willing to come hang out with me and my buddy Seth for a while?" Oh for the love of all that's good in this world, why must he have the most heart-wrenching puppy-dog face I've ever seen? Alec and Jane will throw a fit if I spend too long away from them.. But those big brown eyes.. That jutted pink lip.. That tall, muscular body.. What's a teenage girl to do except allow this eager, gorgeous guy to lead her back to his seat?

I follow Jacob through a different door than the one I came out of and we weave our way through the fellow music-lovers. At one point we get to a particularly thick crowd of people and Jake grabs my hand so he doesn't lose me. His warm fingers intertwine with mine so naturally it's like he's done it a zillion times before. An image fills my head, like the fleeting scene I saw at the café of the small hand running through coarse fur. This time, though, the image is of a large, sparkling stream surrounded by trees with a huge white house in the distance and a warm hand in mine.

I stumble a little as Jacob obliviously continues to pull me. I shake my head, trying to rid myself of the strange images and the feeling that I'm forgetting something.

Jacob and I approach a guy who looks a lot like Jacob albeit a bit younger. Same skin color and almost the same eye and hair color. I can't help but think that Jacob pulls all of it off so much better. There is something just so familiar about the friend too. I can't put my finger on it though.

Jacob's friend's eyes light up when he sees me almost as if he knows me. I look up at Jacob in confusion and see that he has a hard look fixated on his friend, who I think Jacob said is named Seth. When I look back at Seth, the light in his eyes has diminished and he's taken on a look of distant friendliness. Odd kids.

"Juliet this is Seth. Seth this is Juliet, a girl I met earlier at Shades of Brown. " Jacob says over the pounding bass of the music. I realize I had never even taken the time to notice the name of the café.

"It's nice to meet you, Seth." I say to him, leaning in so he can hear me.

"It's great to see you," Seth tells me, unable to contain his excitement once again. He grabs me and pulls me in for a sudden hug. Under his breath he murmurs the same strange name Jacob had called me in the café. The name that stirs feelings I can't identify deep within me.

"Um, I think you're confused.." I awkwardly pat him on the back in this weird embrace.

Jacob growls so quietly if I had been human I probably wouldn't have heard. Seth's arms drop from me as if he had been touched by a hot iron. I step back immediately, unthinkingly seeking Jacob's protection from this strange boy. Jacob isn't that much better though, considering he just _growled_. I've only ever heard vampires growl before and he is most definitely not a vampire.

"Sorry," Jacob whispers in my ear, his warm breath tickling me and causing me to blush.

"I should probably be getting back to my friends," I tell them both as I fight off the rosy flush on my cheeks. "It was nice meeting you, Seth." I say politely to him and then turn to face Jacob. "I hope we have another unexpected run-in soon." I say earnestly. "And maybe this time you won't be saving me in some form or another. Have a fun night," I smile and leave quickly.

As soon as I return to Alec and Jane I am bombarded with questions. "Where were you?" "Why don't you have a drink?" "What were you really doing?" "Why the hell do you smell like wet dog?"

The last question, asked by Jane with a crinkle of her small upturned nose, takes me off guard. "Wet dog?" I inquire, my eyebrows knitting together.

"Yes, wet dog. You reek."

I am stumped. Jacob and Seth both had a nice, woodsy scent to me. Not a disgusting stench. "I've been surrounded by drunken, sweating humans, what do you expect? And the concession line was so long I abandoned halfway through." I lie so easily I almost fool myself for a second.

Jane and Alec both stare at me, not believing a word of it. Finally, Alec breaks the tense atmosphere. "Well you're going to have to ride in the trunk home because there is no way you're getting that stench in my car."

Jane turns her incriminating stare to him. "That's not even your car, idiot. It's that girl's that you killed."

Alec glares at her. "Finders, keepers."


	3. Chapter 3

JACOB POV

I lay on my tiny couch with the run-down cushions and frayed green fabric. My arm is slung across my face to shield my eyes from the noonday sun streaming in through the windows. The stupid curtains that my sister, Rachel, insisted we just _had_ to buy do absolutely nothing except look frilly and feminine. Everything in this small house that my father left me when he passed on is still and silent save for the annoyingly consistent ticking of the coo-coo clock, another Rachel must-have. She doesn't even live here, for god's sake.

My thoughts are a jumbled mess. It was only yesterday that I saw her. Spoke to her. Held her in my arms and laced my fingers through hers just like I used to when she was a kid. Up until then, I had thought Renesmee Cullen was dead.

I mean, I had plenty of reason to assume that. I had seen with my own eyes that dark-haired Volturi creep grab her and take off. Her big brown eyes had locked with mine and her small hands had reached for me as she screamed for help. I had gone for her but it's kind of difficult to get through a swarm of battling vampires. I had chased the boy into the forest but his scent suddenly disappeared after a mile or two. He was gone, taking with him my entire reason for existing.

Considering the fact that the Volturi had attacked us on the basis that Renesmee was a danger to the vampire world, it's reasonable of me to assume that they would dispose of her as soon as they got the chance. So either Renesmee, an innocent and somewhat naïve child, had somehow managed to escape to clutches of villains that could outdo in evilness The Joker, Darth Vader, the Wicked Witch, and Voldemort combined, or the Volturi has reached a new all-time high in creepiness and raised Renesmee like some sort of pet, grooming her and feeding her and keeping her locked up her entire life. They gave her a new name, one I'm sure Aro picked out himself, and soon she either forgot or her brain for some reason blocked out the childhood memories that I have kept so close to my heart and relived every single day since.

The latter is much more likely. God, what is wrong with those sick bastards? In a single day's work, they ripped apart the Cullen family, killed two of my pack brothers, and took away my reason for living. Then they dusted off their cloaks, kicked back and relaxed, and plotted up some new evil scheme for the next day, I'm sure.

I sit up on the couch, hunching forward and resting my elbows on my knees as I bury my face in my hands.

I can sit here and rant and rave about the Volturi all day. But then where does that leave me? The Cullens will still be a broken, scattered family, Bella and Edward will still have gaping holes in their hearts from the loss of their daughter, my pack will still have a broken, aloof alpha, I'll still be miserable and alone, and most importantly, Renesmee will still be living a lie with enemies that pretend to be her friends.

Suddenly, that goddamned coo-coo clock goes off, scaring the hell out of me and simultaneously announcing that it is one o'clock in the afternoon. It causes me to jump to my feet in fright and I almost take that as a call to action. I pace the room, formulating a plan.

If I can win Renesmee's trust, maybe I can get her to remember who she truly is. I mean I can't just walk up to her and say, "Hey I know this is going to sound a little insane, but your real name is Renesmee Cullen, your real parents are named Bella and Edward, you have an entirely different family than the people who are posing as your family now who actually stole you from us when you were a kid. Oh and by the way I'm a werewolf and I have an unfaltering bond to you because you're kinda-sorta the love of my life." That'll be the last time I ever see her.

I need to be extremely delicate here. I need to try to get her to remember on her own without making it obvious. I could've sworn that when I called her by her real name yesterday in the café she had shown some sort of recognition. Something had flashed in her eyes. And when I told her my name, that same flash had occurred. And when I had grabbed her hand, I had noticed while pretending not to that she stumbled a little, almost as if it felt familiar.

So if I can get her to remember on her own, she'll leave those imposter leeches and come back to me. I can't call Bella and Edward yet because Bella would probably either think it's some sort of twisted joke and never speak to me again (like I'd pull a sick stunt like that, but she's been very...different ever since she lost Nessie) or she'd come running back and scare Renesmee off. But once I get Renesmee to remember on her own then I can track down Bella and Edward and give them their daughter back and they can try to find the remaining fragments of the Cullens. And maybe that family can try to rebuild itself and things can be the way they were meant to be – me living with a clan of the coolest vampires I know with the most beautiful girl in the world at my side.

But how to get her to remember.. That's the tricky part. Especially considering that I'm sure those "friends" she spoke of that accompanied her to the concert last night are Volturi members. If they catch on to who I am, I can pretty much guarantee Renesmee will be on the first flight back to Italy. Luckily no Volturi member has ever seen me out of my wolf form. I still want to try to avoid them as much as possible.

My phone rings from the kitchen counter and I sigh in frustration as I go to answer it. I don't like being disturbed in the middle of my planning. But as soon as I read the caller I.D., the phone nearly slips through my fingers because I jump in excitement. I answer quickly, take a calming breath, bring the phone to my ear and in my most suave voice say, "Hello?"

"Jacob?" The sweetest, most beautiful voice I've ever heard comes from the other end of the line. A voice that until yesterday I had figured I'd never hear again.

"Hey Juliet," I say casually, the name sounding so wrong. I have to force it out every time.

"I hope this isn't a bad time.." she says a little shyly, "but I was wondering if maybe you'd like to do something this afternoon. My friends sort of ditched me and I'm really bored locked up in my hotel room. You're pretty much the only other person I know here."

I grin. It's like there's some invisible force that's rooting for me, wanting me to get her back. "I'll pick you up in half an hour. Text me your hotel address."

"Well what're we going to do?" she asks a bit warily.

"I have no idea, but it'll be fun, I swear." I smile a little sadly. Renesmee used to say that to me when she'd try to coerce me to go outside and play with her. Of course I didn't take a lot of coercion, I loved playing stupid games with her, but I always thought it was cute when she'd say that.

There's a long pause on the phone. I know it must've sounded somewhat familiar to her. "Well now that I have your word on it, you can't disappoint," she finally says. "See you in half an hour." The line goes dead.

I run back to my room, changing as quickly as possible and splashing cold water on my face just to make sure this is real. For the past seventeen years, my only encounters with Renesmee have been in my dreams and now here I am about to go on an afternoon adventure with her. She has to still feel some of those old feelings of trust and love and friendship she had for me when she was a child otherwise I doubt she would've called me up.

I bound out the door on to my motorcycle, revving the engine excitedly. As I drive out of La Push, I go over again my plan to win her back and regain what my life should be. Those Volturi freaks are not going to take my Renesmee away from me again. Did they honestly even believe that they could keep her alive and keep me away from her forever? It's only taken seventeen years, and in those years I've hardly aged at all, for me to find her again. And now that I have, it's time for me to adopt a rule I'm sure those heartless parasites love: finders, keepers.

**A/N: I know this chapter will probably make you curious as to what went down during the battle and what happened to the Cullens and who died and all that jazz, so just bear with me and know that this was in no way the only explanation you'll get on what happened. Also, review if you love a fired-up Jacob Black (; **


	4. Chapter 4

My fingers thrum impatiently against the wooden nightstand near my bed as I wait for Jacob to arrive. I begin to question my decision to call him. I hardly know the guy! But Jane and Alec left to go hunting and I don't want to just stay locked up in the hotel all day.

Okay _maybe_ I could have found a way to entertain myself on my own. But I like Jacob Black. For some reason I can't help but want to be around him. I may have just met him yesterday, but it honestly feels like I've known him my whole life.

My phone vibrates in my hand and I look down to see I have a text from Jacob announcing his arrival. I jump up and run out of the room, opting for the stairs instead of the elevator because they're faster. I take them two at a time and nearly trip over myself on the way down.

And it isn't until after I make a fool of myself leaping down a flight of stairs that I realize Jacob is waiting for me in the lobby. He's leaning against the wall near the door just like he was last night at the concert but this time his eyes are fixed solely on me and there's an amused smirk on his lips. My cheeks begin to burn.

"Let's pretend you didn't see that." I instruct immediately as I get closer to him.

He chuckles. "Let's not, it was cute. We almost had another dire emergency there, that would've made three out of three. I like your clumsiness."

I take deep breaths as I fight off the blush. "Well I'm glad someone does. My friends make fun of me for it all the time." I smile a little at the memories of Alec and I bantering over all my little half-human flaws. "Wait, what's that?" I ask him suddenly, cutting him off in something he was about to say, as my eyes zone in on the shiny black helmet in this hand.

"Come on, I'll show you," he says as he turns swiftly and heads out the door. He holds the door open for me like a gentleman. Sitting in one of the first few parking spaces by the door is a gleaming black and silver motorcycle.

"That's yours?" I squeak, a little frightened. I've never rode a motorcycle before. Aro would be furious if I did. He doesn't like it when I do anything that threatens my safety.

"It's mine. What, you scared?" Jacob taunts, his smile teasing.

"Maybe just a little," I admit with a bashful smile as I bite my lip. He stares at me a moment as if I had just done something very intriguing and looks almost like he's going to say something, but cuts himself off and walks towards the bike.

"Here," he hands me the helmet in his hands.

"Where's yours?" I ask as I slide the helmet on and attempt to strap it up.

"I forgot to grab an extra when I left. Don't worry, I'll be fine." He laughs at the worried look I give him.

"No, really, you should take it, I'll be fine." I insist, knowing how much more damage my half-vampire body can take than his all-human body.

Jacob reaches out suddenly and stops my hands as they begin taking the helmet off. He moves my hands down to my side, holding them there for a second until he's sure I won't move them, and then brings his hands back up to the helmet. His warm fingers brush against my cheeks as he buckles the straps for me.

"We'll both be fine," he murmurs, almost as if he knows exactly why I insisted he take it. As if he knows I'm not human. "But what would people think if they saw me driving around with a helmet on and a girl on the back without a helmet? I mean, I've got a reputation to uphold here." Jacob grins at me and I laugh.

"Oh how chilvarous of you." I tell him as he slides on the bike.

He looks up at me with a grin and adds, "Plus, you look way better in a helmet than I do." And here comes another blush.

I carefully maneuver my legs the way he tells me to until I'm sitting behind him. I wrap my arms tightly around his muscular torso and soon enough we're flying through the city. The wind whips my copper curls wildly and I suddenly feel very free. It's like I've had chains around my ankles and wrists my whole life and suddenly with Jacob Black, they're gone. I laugh out loud and Jacob looks back at me and grins.

God, he has such a beautiful smile.

All too soon Jacob is stopping. I look up to see we are outside a large building with a sign that reads RINKY-DINK SKATING RINK. My stomach drops. After witnessing two cases of my clumsiness, he decides to take me _here_?

"So are you trying to kill me or…?" I ask as he parks the motorcycle. He laughs as he helps me off.

"No, just trying to give you an experience I doubt you've had." he says sincerely. I'm a little puzzled. How did he know I'd never been skating before? Do I really seem that prissy, or does he just assume because I trip over flat surfaces?

We walk in through the frosted double glass doors and are greeted with dub-step, the smell of pizza and popcorn and sweat, and scattered groups of teens. There aren't many people here, the place looks kind of old and run-down. A big, shiny wooden skating area dominates the middle of the building with carpeted areas outlining it and an arcade near to me and Jacob along with concession stands. Tables and benches dot the place.

As we take a few steps further inside, I get the strangest sensation that I've been here before. "This place is so familiar.." I murmur to Jacob as he leads me to a table.

"It is?" he questions excitedly, looking over at me happily. I scrutinize him in confusion. Why is he so familiar too? Why is this city so familiar? When have I been at this skating rink before?

"I don't know." I shrug. Maybe if I just ignore these feelings they'll go away. Thinking about it sort of gives me a headache.

Jacob frowns. "What size are you? I'll get your skates for you." he offers

"I'm a seven or seven and a half." I tell him a little self-consciously. Alec, Felix, and Demetri have always mocked my "baby feet". Jacob just smiles though and saunters over to the counter. He returns a second later but only with one pair. My jaw drops. "You're kidding, right? You don't honestly expect me to get out there and skate and you to sit back and watch?"

Jacob runs a hand through his choppy black hair and laughs. "Wouldn't dream of it. I'm going to teach you how. I'll get a pair later."

I study him again carefully and finally decide he's telling the truth. Sighing in defeat, I put on the roller skates and lace them up. I stand up on wobbly legs and Jacob is suddenly there, his arm around my small waist as he guides me smoothly to the wooden floor.

"This is absurd," I mutter, stopping for a moment to quickly pull my hair back into a ponytail to keep my unruly ringlets out of my face.

"It's _fun_. I once knew a girl a lot like you who loved to do weird things because she thought they were a blast. Just relax, loosen up," Jacob runs his hands down my arms that are rigid at my side. I remain tense as he guides me slowly around the floor. Jacob stops me and stares me sternly in the eye. I meet his gaze meekly. "I'm giving you three seconds to start having fun, Renesmee Carlie Cullen."

"_Renesmee Carlie Cullen, you get inside this house right now! I am not going to have you smelling like dog when Tanya gets here!" _

I jump, startled. That scene had been so vivid, so real. As if I was really there. But I've never met that gorgeous blonde vampire who had shouted it in my life. And I've never been to that scenic white mansion she stood in the doorway of except for that scene I saw in my head last night when Jacob grabbed my hand.

There's a long, awkward pause. Jacob looks like he wants to kick himself for calling me that strange name again. I stare at him wide-eyed and confused.

"Who is she?" I finally whisper, breaking the tense silence.

"Who? Renesmee?" Jacob questions.

"Yeah. I mean, you've mentioned her twice. Obviously I remind you enough of her for you to confuse me with her so randomly. And I think I might have met her before or something, when I was so young that now it's just flashes of memories. So who is she?" I explain myself hurriedly.

Jacob stares at me for a while until he finally says, "Ask me another time and I'll explain, okay? Now isn't the time or place. But hey, speaking of times and places, how long are you going to be in Seattle?" The subject and mood of the conversation switches so suddenly yet so smoothly. Like he has experience being evasive.

"I don't really have a set date to leave," I tell him, "it's sort of just however long I can keep my friends here. They get bored easily."

"So do you think you'd be able to come to a bonfire me and my friends are having in a few days?" he asks with an adorable little smile that's a little shy.

"A bonfire? In Seattle?" I inquire curiously, already getting excited. I've never gone to a bonfire before.

Jacob laughs and says, "No, no. I don't live in Seattle. I live on a reservation called La Push. It's right outside of Forks."

"Oh I know Forks," I say instantly and then half a second later realize I've never been to a place called Forks in my life.

"You do?" Jacob asks though he doesn't seem too surprised.

"No.." I admit, wanting to cover my eyes with my hands. I must sound like a complete idiot.

"Well I'll show you around some time. If you come to the bonfire with me." he tempts. Being offered to be shown around some town I've never heard of is probably the crummiest exchange ever, but I honestly didn't need much persuasion.

"Deal," I tell him with a laugh.

Jacob looks up at me from beneath his long, thick lashes, looking so absolutely sexy that it makes me go weak at the knees. "Would it be weird of me to call it a date?"

I bite my lip happily and look down at my skate-clad feet. "No, I don't think so." I reply in a voice hardly above a whisper. He grins, grabs my hands, and begins to lead me around again as if nothing had happened. I can't seem to wipe the huge smile off my face.

After about an hour of skating, my legs begin to feel like rubber. Who knew balancing on wheels could be so tiring? I tell Jacob I can't last another minute and he gently lopes his arm around my waist once again and all but carries me to our table.

"Let me buy you something to eat," he offers kindly. I shake my head and unlace my skates at the same time. "It's really no problem at all. What do you like? Pizza?" He persists, already getting out his wallet.

"You can't buy me anything," I continue to object and cut him off before he can argue it any further, "if you do, then that'll make this our first date. And I kind of like the idea of our first date being at a bonfire." I admit shyly, using my hair as a curtain to hide my blush.

Jacob stops arguing after that and just smiles, putting his wallet back in his pocket.

"I should probably be getting back," I tell him with a sad sigh, "my friends will be home soon and they won't be happy if they find an empty hotel room."

Jacob frowns. "Sounds like some pretty controlling friends. Leave you alone and then would be angry if they knew you did something to entertain yourself?" His eyes are narrowed angrily. Why is he so mad just because my friends don't treat me fairly according to him? What does it matter?

"They just wouldn't be happy if they knew I'd been entertaining myself along with another person. They're not controlling, just protective." I defend Alec and Jane earnestly. They've been my friends since I was young and my favorite playmates.

"Right," Jacob snorts in disbelief. I decide to drop it. You've got to choose your battles.

Jacob and I leave the old skating rink and get back on his bike. He drives me back to my hotel and walks me inside.

"Thanks for coming and finding a way to amuse me on such short notice. I had a lot of fun," I tell him truthfully, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Anytime. Seriously, if you ever need anything, just call me. I'll be here as soon as I can. And don't forget about our date. I'll text you the details later," he promises.

"I couldn't if I tried," I smile, "I'll see you around, Jake." The nickname had come out so suddenly, so naturally, that I didn't even think about it. It felt like I'd called him that a dozen times. But I don't even know if he goes by that or cares if people call him that.. I decide not to dwell on it. Accidentally calling someone by a common nickname is nothing to get worked up over.

I smile at him once more before going up the stairs, taking them one at a time this time. As soon as I get inside my hotel room I get the oddest feeling of shackles being attached to my ankles and wrists once more. The feeling increases as I scrub my body in the shower to get rid of Jacob's scent so Alec and Jane won't recognize it when they get home.


	5. Chapter 5

"If this club blows, you owe me," Alec threatens Jane with his intimidating maroon eyes. She is entirely unfazed and simply continues to primp her short dark hair as I smooth out my skin tight ruched black dress with the cleavage-enhancing halter top.

"Well it won't. And I wouldn't owe you if it did. You owe me just for gracing you with my presence." Jane replies haughtily and Alec scoffs at her arrogance.

"How about if it blows no one owes anyone since we all decided to come here on our own free will and we just leave and go grab some pizza?" I compromise, knowing they could continue the argument the entire night.

"Fine, fine," Alec grumbles with a flip of his thick, lustrous hair. In his red button-down and dark jeans, he looks even more desirable than most of the time. And if you knew how desirable he looks most of the time, you'd think that was impossible. I quickly look away and distract myself with something in the hopes that he won't attribute my sudden heart-beat spike to his doing, but when I peek back at him he's grinning cockily so I know he knows.

"Oh this is ridiculous. The most powerful vampire in the world is not going to wait in line with a bunch of moronic humans," Jane growls as she exits the line after waiting a grand total three and a half minutes.

Alec and I follow her as Alec says, "Actually, I'm the most-" I cut him off with a sharp elbow jab into his ribs. He looks down at me in confusion.

"No more arguing. We're here to have _fun_." I emphasize, suddenly reminding myself of Jacob yesterday at the skating rink. The thought of Jacob fills me with a sudden rush of excitement. Tomorrow is our date. I couldn't be more thrilled. Tomorrow afternoon Jane and I are going shopping (and I'm sure Alec will tag along just to make fun of the mortals) although she doesn't know what for, just thinks it's a random shopping urge. I'm going to find the perfect outfit even though I'm not entirely sure what one wears to a bonfire seeing as I've never been.

Alec silently complies as Jane walks up to the bouncer. With our inhuman beauty coupled with the fact that us getting close to him caused him terror that he couldn't rationalize to himself, we each get in and dodge the twenty minute line.

The dark club smells of alcohol and humans, which is to be expected, and fast-paced dancing music is playing from the booming speakers. It's actually really nice. I don't know why I'm surprised, as if Jane would select anything but the best.

"Hello, gorgeous," Jane murmurs as she spots an attractive blonde male checking her out on the dancefloor. She walks up to him and begins flirting intensely and he looks completely mesmerized by her. I hope she shows him a good time considering by the end of the night I bet he'll be dead even though she just hunted yesterday. As I walk past them and get a whiff of him, I understand why she chose him – not because he is undeniably handsome but because his blood type is O negative, her favorite. I also think Jane has a thing for blondes.

"Come on," Alec murmurs, his cool breath tickling the back of my neck as he leads me to the bar. He orders us a tray of shots even though I know the taste of human liquids is repulsive to him.

"What are you doing?" I question curiously and then watch as he sneakily slides a silver flask from his pocket and adds red liquid to two of the glasses. I grin, knowing that that's definitely not Kool-Aid. He lifts one glass up and offers me the other.

"To us," he proclaims.

"To us," I agree and clink my glass with his. We both tilt our heads back and allow the blood-diluted alcohol to drain down our throats. After two more of those, I begin to feel the warmth of the manufactured euphoria spread through my limbs. And after seven of them, I feel light and free and just want to have fun!

"Excuuuuuse me," I tell the man sitting next to me as I slide the cocktail he was drinking away from him and finish it off for him. If I wasn't an unearthly beautiful girl and if Alec wasn't so intimidating with his dark hair and dark clothes, I bet the man would've been angry. But he is just stupified as he watches me down his entire drink. Alec grins approvingly as he watches me.

"Dance with me!" I giggle as I grab both of Alec's hands. He grabs one more shot and downs it, then allows me to lead him on to the dance floor.

His hands find their way to my waist as I wrap my arms seductively around his neck. I smile at him and bite my lip as he pulls me closer. Our hips gyrate together to the beat of the music. I dip my head back and arch my back. Alec's lips kiss down my throat causing a small moan to escape me.

He twirls me around and pulls me to him again. He gently brushes my hair from my ear and whispers sexily, "You're so beautiful." His voice is sincere and even a little shaky. I'm not used to such overpowering emotion from him. Usually I just get sarcasm and snarkiness.

I turn back around to face him, my eyes searching his. His contacts have dissolved by now, leaving them a bright red, like two freshly bloomed rose petals. In those bloody depths I find honesty, admiration, and lust. I shakily brush his hair from his face, my skin relishing in how velvety soft it is.

My head is fuzzy from the alcohol. In the dim lighting of the club with dozens of other hot bodies swaying around me, Alec suddenly appears to me to be the greatest thing to have ever walked this earth. I grab his hands and slowly lead him out of the mass of people and find us a cool alcove of space.

I push him up against the wall. Suddenly our lips are together. His are smooth and cold and passionate while mine are soft and warm and needy. He flips us around with the speed of a vampire so that my back is now the one pressed to the wall. His fingers tangle into my curls, pushing me to him.

My mouth opens and his responds, our tongues entering each others mouths. His hands explore the countours of my body and mine do the same to his. We're stuck to each other as if there is some invisible force pulling us together. He kisses down my throat and I can feel the sharp edges of his teeth against my skin.

"Do it," I whisper, caught up in the heat of the moment. He hesitates a moment, then suddenly grabs my hand and digs his teeth into my wrist. I cry out quietly in shock, and then forget the pain as Alec begins to suck. It is sensual and rhythmic. I move my hips against his in time with his sucking.

He pulls back quickly so he doesn't take too much, then licks the wound so it closes. His lips find mine again and I can taste my own blood.

My fingers twine through his silky soft hair and pull him as close to me as I possibly can. He trails kisses up my jawline until he reaches my each. "Juliet," he moans in a whisper. I jerk back suddenly as if he'd jolted me with an electric shock. For some reason, when he'd said my name it had felt like he'd called me the wrong one.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asks instantly, looking worried. I shake my head, very confused. How did this whole thing get started again? How did I end up making out with Alec, a guy who has always been practically a brother to me? And why did I enjoy it so much? There has been sexual tension between me and Alec for a few years now but never did I think I'd see the day that I'd so much as kiss him, much less make out with him and let him grope me. And _enjoy_ it.

I stare at him a moment longer, searching his eyes once again for something that is unknown even to me. All I know is that I don't find it.

But the alcohol is still buzzing through my veins and I liked that raw, hormonal, heated passion. I've never experienced that. My lips crash on to his once again and it's like nothing happened. Our lips move together in perfect synch as our hands explore each other once more.

"What are you guys _doing_?" A shocked, disgusted voice causes Alec and I to jump apart.

"Oh, uh, Jane.." I stutter and trail off, not sure what to say. She just caught me making out with her brother, her _twin_ brother at that. There's not really much a person can say in that situation. I glance up at Alec and see him glaring at her. The feisty, petite little brunette glares right back.

"Keep your paws off my best friend. And you, keep your paws off my brother." she instructs. I take another shameful step away from Alec. But suddenly he reaches out and grabs my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. I stare at our intertwined hands in shock.

"Ew, ew, ew, gross," Jane cries, lunging forward and breaking apart our hand-holding. "If you two are going to do that kind of stuff, please, for my sanity, don't do it in front of me!"

"What sanity?" Alec jokes and she shoots him a deadly look. Then she glances back and forth between the two of us, her look of contempt dissolving into just a look of mild disgust and a bit of amusement.

"The blonde human was boring. I'm done here and so are you two," she fills us in on our own desires with pointed looks, "so let's go."

**A/N: All the Jacob-lovers out there, don't hate me! D: If you're reading Twilight fics, you've gotta love a good vamp-werewolf love triangle, right? Besides, if you've ever read my stories before you'd know I'm an Alec fanatic! So just wait patiently all you Jake-lovers, his time is coming - first date chapter is in progress!**


	6. Chapter 6

**JACOB POV**

I stand leaning against my motorcycle in the farthest parking space from Renesmee's hotel door, just like she had instructed. Something about her friends thinking she was going out alone. Although I hate whichever leeches were sent to watch over her like prison guards, I'm definitely flattered by the effort Renesmee puts in to see me. Sneaking out, making up stories, lying, the extra effort it probably takes to get my scent off her. I'm glad she wants to see me enough to go through all that although I wish she didn't have to.

As the minutes tick by slowly, I begin to get worried. Not impatient – I could wait on Renesmee forever – just worried that she isn't going to show. Maybe her gendarmes won't let her leave. But like I said, I'd wait on Renesmee forever, so even as a few minutes turns to five minutes and five minutes turns to ten minutes, I stand out here and wait for her.

Suddenly, a skittish, slim silhouette slips out of the hotel's side door and slinks along the side of the building and through the rows of cars. Renesmee smiles sheepishly as she approaches me.

"Sorry," she says instantly while biting her lip in embarrassment, just like Bella used to do. Good god, she looks just like her mother when she does that. Yet when she rolls her eyes or smirks, she looks like the spitting image of her father. How one person can look exactly like two different people just by different facial expressions, I have no clue.

"Don't be. I'm glad you made it," I smile warmly at her to show I'm not mad at all.

"Me too," she says a little shyly, the faintest of pink blushes rising to her cheeks. Another Bella-trait. She tucks a piece of her gorgeous, waist-length copper-colored ringlets behind her ear.

I assess what she's wearing since I've been kind of curious as to what she'd come up with considering she's never been to a bonfire before. But somehow she managed to dress appropriately. A gray and white horizontally striped shirt with long sleeves that is made of clingy fabric that makes her look more slim than she already does yet also shows off her cleavage, something that no matter how much I adore and respect Renesmee, my hormones won't stop me from noticing. She's also wearing a pair of jean shorts that show off her long, milky white legs and a pair of white Converse. Her make up is minimal and natural, and she looks overall radiantly beautiful, as usual, but more so because unlike the high-end, odd fashion I've seen _Juliet_ wear that would even be too much for Alice Cullen, the most eccentric fashionista I've ever met, this outfit is something _Renesmee_ would actually wear, as long as Alice and Rosalie didn't get a hold of her first.

"So are you ready to go?" asks Renesmee a bit awkwardly and I realize I've probably been staring too long. I mentally kick myself. I keep making mistakes like that.

"Mhm, here," I hand her the black helmet again. Just as she's about to start protesting having to be the one wearing it, I hold up a silver helmet. Her soft-looking pink lips snap shut, she smiles gratefully, and slides the helmet on. This time she buckles it without a problem much to my dismay. I'd liked being able to be so close to her when I had strapped it the other day.

She climbs on back with ease, already getting the hang of it. Her arms wrap around me and her chin rests on my shoulder. It feels so right. This is the way we're suppose to be.

I drive to La Push, glancing back at her every now and then to see a huge smile on her face. I see her from the corner of my eye glance curiously at the sign that welcomes your to La Push and announces that it is a Native American reservation, but not disdainfully which is good. At least the Volturi didn't make her into too much of a snob, although I'm sure some damage has been done.

I park my bike at my house and get off, helping Renesmee off though I doubt she needs it. I'll take any excuse to touch her. She looks at my dark, small house with curiosity, and then looks at me with questions in her eyes. I know she recognizes this place. She has to. "This is my house," I explain to her.

"Oh, is your dad –" she cuts herself off suddenly, looking confused, and then starts again,"er I mean, are your parents inside?" she asks.

"No, both my parents have passed away." I tell her without meeting her perceptive chocolate-brown gaze.

"I'm so sorry, Jake," she murmurs quietly and sincerely. I just nod. "I never knew my parents," she admits after a pause, maybe trying to relate. I glance over at her with one eyebrow raised and she continues, "My mother died giving birth to me and my father hated me so much for killing her that he never even looked at me, just left. Someone found me and gave me to an orphanage and my family adopted me and a while later we all went to live in Italy, which is where I've lived since." I can tell she's editing the story a lot to be acceptable to tell a human. Even if she wasn't, it's all still lies. Every word of it. Her mother is alive, her father loved her more than anything, no one ever dreamed of giving her up, they were willing to lay down their lives for her, she was ripped from us violently by her now-family.

I stare at her evenly, trying to convey a million messages with just a look. For a split second, it's almost as if she understands what I'm trying to say. Almost as if she realizes her whole story is false. But that flash disappears as soon as it came.

"I'm sorry," I tell her. I'm sorry you've been forced to live with those freaks your whole life. I'm sorry your entire existence has been based on lie after lie after lie. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you like I should have.

"Jacob? Are you okay?" she asks in a whisper and I realize with a flood of embarrassment that a tear had slipped down my face as I thought about not being able to save her that day. I wipe it away quickly.

"Fine," I reply in the strongest voice I can manage.

"Oh, Jake," she whispers, sounding so much like her mother it's scary, and in a few steps her arms are suddenly around me as she hugs me with her head resting in the crook of my neck. I slowly wrap my arms around her tiny waist, hugging her back tightly. I bury my face in her curls that smell like vanilla soap. She whispers how sorry she is into my skin.

After a minute, I reluctantly step back from the embrace. "C'mon, we've got a bonfire to get to. I want to introduce you to my friends." I have really big hopes that when she meets my pack members memories will come back to her. I mean, one of them had to make some sort of an impression on her. Any memory is good. I'm desperate here.

I take her hand in mine as we walk to the beach. I lead her down a narrow pathway until we're on the rocky beach. Renesmee begins to drift towards the lapping gray waves, pulling me with her by our intertwined hands.

I watch her face, noticing how her gorgeous eyes are glassy and lost as she stares out towards the dark horizon. "I've been here before," she whispers so quietly I know I wasn't suppose to hear it. Werewolf hearing definitely has its perks. "This is so strange," she whispers again in the same low tone. I feel so bad for her. This must be so confusing.

I squeeze her hand comfortingly. She looks over at me and slowly searches my face, her eyes moving over my every feature until they begin to move down my body. I twitch a little under her intense scrutiny and her eyes suddenly snap back up to my face with a look of total humiliation in them. Before she can start rambling off an apology, even though I think it'd be really cute, I cut her off and say, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were stalling. Scared to ride motorcycles _and_ meet my friends?" I tease her lightly just like I used to when she was a kid. And just like she used to her, her face takes on an appalled expression, which then shifts to stubbornness as she sticks her tongue out at me and begins to march confidently towards the huge fire in the distance, dragging me with her.

Once we begin to near the fire, though, her stride falters. "Um, how many of them are there, exactly?" she asks timidly.

"Not sure," I shrug, "Maybe ten or fifteen or twenty. Depends on who showed up and who brought who. But trust me, you'll fit right in. It'll be like you've known them since the day you were born." I promise, subtly dropping a hint. Well, maybe not as subtly as I'd thought because her eyes flash up to mine with accusation and confusion as if she knows that I know something that she doesn't know. Talk about confusing.

I just give her a cheeky grin that probably makes it more than obvious I'm hiding something and this time begin to drag her towards the fire.

"Jacob!" Quil booms as we get closer. Quil has just recently stopped shifting considering he is now about the same age as his imprintee, Claire. He hung on to being a wolf as long as he could but ultimately, the love and adoration he has for Claire outweighed his love of being a wolf and he had to give it up to grow old with her as equals. Claire is sitting next to him right now, cuddled into his side.

If this experience had happened last week, I would have glared at the couple and looked away quickly. Being away from Renesmee for so long caused me actual, physical pain. It was so hard. But I had committed to being the alpha of the pack and I couldn't back down. I needed something to distract me. A million times I asked myself why I didn't try to stop phasing and then age normally so I'd die sooner. My only rational explanation was that the pack needed me. Now I think it has to do with the fact that somewhere deep down, my instincts knew that Renesmee was still alive. I may have been in pain because of the separation, but surely if she had been killed I would've been in agony.

Suddenly there's a crowd around us. They're all marveling at Renesmee, the little girl they'd thought had been killed so long ago. "Hey, back it up, back it up," I command, my alpha voice accidentally slipping into it. They all immediately take at least five steps back. "Everyone, this is _Juliet_." I emphasize her name to remind them all that she has no clue who any of them are or even who Renesmee is.

Renesmee smiles at them all politely. "It's nice to meet you all," she says.

"Juliet, this is Quil, Claire, Collin, Amanda, Brady, Seth, who you met the other night," Seth gives Renesmee a big goofy grin and she giggles, "Paul, my sister Rachel, Jared, Kim, Embry, Emily, and-"

"Sam," she finishes for me. Everyone looks around at each other, wondering how she knew. I told them that she had lost her memories of her life with us all. She looks confused too. "How did I know that?" she whispers to me, unaware that they can all hear her too.

"It's okay," I assure her, squeezing her hand again.

"It's great to see you again, Juliet," Seth breaks the awkward silence first.

"Yeah, I hoped I would see you around," she says back kindly, although I'm not sure if it's true considering Seth had majorly freaked her out when they first met.

After that, everything begins to settle down and go back to normal. I take Renesmee over to one of the makeshift, driftwood benches near the multi-colored fire. She observes the fire in awe. I bring her a plate of every kind of food we had available, not knowing what she likes anymore, but being sure to give her a big pile of Cheez-Its because I know she used to love them. And low and behold, they're the first thing she goes for.

"Your friends all seem very nice," she says to me after a while of teasing me over being able to eat hotdogs so fast.

"They like you too," I tell her, watching the way the breeze flutters through her bronze hair.

"How would you know?" she asks with a smile. "They've only just met me. I've hardly said anything to them."

I grin at her, how beautiful she is with the fire's light playing on her cheekbones and how innocent her doe-like eyes are. But in the light I notice the shadows beneath her eyes, as if she didn't sleep much, and that her skin lacks its usual healthy glow. I place my hand on her bare knee, loving how warm her skin is. "I don't think it's possible for anyone to not like you. You're perfect." I whisper huskily. She stares into my eyes for a moment, and then her eyes drift down to look at my lips. My eyes do the same on their own accord, staring at her full pink lips longingly.

She whispers something that sounds like Italian that I can't distinguish, and then begins to lean forward. Her lips brush against mine and it's like magic. She tastes so sweet, like the most deliciously flavored lollipop. Everything and everyone disappears around us, just like in the movies. All that is real in that second is my love for Renesmee and her lips on mine.

She pulls back just as quickly as she had leaned forward. I open my eyes slowly and dazedly and am met with sparkling chocolate-brown. She reaches one pale hand forward and brushes it against my cheek and I lean into her touch. I grab her hand and press it softly to my lips. She closes her lavender eyelids for a brief second before opening them and smiling at me.

"I don't know who you are, Jacob Black, but you'd better be careful. You might just make me fall in love with you." She murmurs quietly while biting her lip.

I smile back at her and lean in to kiss her once again. This kiss is longer and deeper, but I'm still left wanting more when I force myself to pull away. I could spend eternity kissing Renesmee Cullen.

She pulls back and giggles softly. I leave my hand twined in her copper-colored curls. She strokes my muscular forearm affectionately. She glances around the fire at all my friends, smiling happily. This is where she belongs. With us. Not with those Italian cold-blooded murderers.

"Where's Leah?" she suddenly asks, and then snaps her mouth closed and looks frightened of herself. All the wolves here stop talking instantly since they all heard. The humans didn't hear yet stop talking in confusion. I stare at her wide-eyed with a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"W-what?" I stutter. She remembers Leah? How does she remember Leah?

"I have no idea why I said that. Ignore me, I think I'm losing my mind," she laughs quietly at herself, oblivious to the fact that all the wolves are staring at her with shocked expressions.

I wish I could answer her question truthfully. Leah deserves to have me say "She died bravely in a battle to protect you. She sacrficed her life for your safety." But I can't. Not now anyways. It's not the time.

"I like your craziness," I grin and sling my arm around her shoulder, trying to shake off the guilt and hoping she doesn't see the pain.

She nestles into my side and whispers, "I like you. A lot."


	7. Chapter 7

My laugh echoes through the dark streets, coupled with the equally melodic laughs of Alec and Jane. "Did you see the look on his face?" I giggle, recalling the poor human boy Jane and I had played with and, miraculously, allowed to live, mostly due to my encouragement.

"I can finally understand your fascination with humans, Jules," Jane laughs, "they're great entertainment!"

I frown a little to myself. That's definitely not why I enjoy humans. I like being around them because I am half them – a part of me belongs to their world. No matter how odd or disgusting or stupid they can be, I can't put myself too far above them because half of my DNA I share with them.

"Yeah," I say lamely. I stop walking and lean against a cool brick wall. Alec stops and leans against the wall right next to me, hardly an inch apart. I can feel sparks of tension in that short span of space between us. Jane seems to realize it too as she scrutinizes us.

"Well the sexual tension between you two has been making me feel like throwing up for the past two days so I'll leave you guys to figure it out and go entertain myself with another human." Jane lopes away gracefully, leaving me and Alec alone. I gulp.

I have no clue what to say to him. At this time last night I was cuddling with Jacob and laughing with his friends. By the time Jacob had driven me back to the hotel and I had snuck tactfully back inside, I had realized something: I have fallen hard for Jacob Black. His lips against mine.. He was so gentle and sweet.. So much different from the raw, almost predatory passion I receive from Alec. And yet I sort of like that frenzied passion. It's daring and exciting.

I look up and am met with two blood-red eyes gazing at me. "Soo.." I finally say, breaking the silence.

"Where were you last night?" he asks. The question is so random that it catches me off-guard.

"W-what?" I sputter, forgetting all the perfectly polished excuses I had prepared.

"Where were you? What were you doing? And most importantly, who the hell were you with?" his eyes are hard and incriminating. I cross my arms defiantly.

"I was wherever I wanted to be, doing things that are none of your business, with whoever I wanted to be with." I reply haughtily. Alec's eyes narrow. "Do we have a problem, Alec?" I ask while crossing my arms.

"Tell. Me." he commands, his voice like the calm before the storm.

I glare fiercely at him. Alec may be intimidating at times, but I've never actually been scared of him. He's Alec, my playful guardian. He would never harm me. I clench my teeth together. "_No_."

He suddenly pushes me back up against the wall, his forearm pressed tightly against my throat as solid as a steel bar. Maybe I spoke – or thought, I guess – too soon. _Would_ Alec actually hurt me if I made him angry enough?

I squirm futilely. "Get off me, you psycho!" I growl, trying to shove him away. A half-breed is no match for a recently-fed vampire though.

"I saw some kid drop you off on a motorcycle. A _motorcycle_. What is he, some sort of drug dealer? Are you doing drugs? Are you fucking him?" The accusing, ridiculous questions come out of Alec's plush red lips so fast and angrily I don't even have time to respond.

"What? No, no, no! Of course not! Stop this, Alec!" I plead with him, my air supply beginning to be too low for me to be comfortable with. I claw at his arm trying to get him to release me. He growls frighteningly.

"Stop it, you pathetic little hybrid." He spits the word "hybrid" as if it's some sort of disease. His words sting.

"_Stop it, you pathetic little hybrid!" a musical voice hisses angrily as I struggle and scream. Two icy arms are wrapped around me, carrying me through a snow-covered forest. I can hear the sounds of struggle behind us. I try biting the arms that are like an ice-cold jail cell to no avail. _

"_Mommy! Daddy! Jacob!" I scream in a voice much higher than my own, like a little girl's voice. I look up at my captor and am met with ruby eyes, snowy skin, apple-red lips, and a thick swoosh of nearly black hair. _

I snap back to reality and find Alec's grip has relaxed as he stares at me blankly. Almost like he had seen the same thing as me. But.. what had I seen?

I was struggling and trying to free myself of a malicious kidnapper. I had even screamed for Jacob.. as in Jacob Black? And I had screamed for my parents.. But I've never met my parents before. Why would I cry out to my dead mother for help? Or to my father that hates me? But most importantly of all: why the hell was Alec, my best friend, carrying me struggling, screaming, and crying through a frigid forest?

Alec's arm suddenly drops and he backs away from me slowly, looking confused and almost like he doesn't even know how he got here. He glances down at his hands like they're traitors. He looks back up at me, his eyes first focusing on my now-sore neck and then drifting slowly up to meet my accusing, untrusting gaze.

"Juliet.." he whispers softly. "I'm so sorry.. I don't even know.." His lips fumble for words and I can see moisture collecting in his eyes. If he were human would he be…crying? Alec Volturi – sexy, badass, mischievous Alec Volturi – _crying_?

Tears prick my eyes also. I shake my head, not trusting my voice to not crack, and take off down the sidewalk in the opposite direction that I had seen Jane go. I half-expect to hear Alec's footsteps behind me but I don't, and just before I turn the corner of the street I glance back to see him rooted in the same place staring dazedly at the brick wall where I had just been.

I all but run through the streets of Seattle until I reach the hotel and then I retake the course that Jacob had drove me last night. Soon I find myself passing by the WELCOME TO LA PUSH sign. And then I'm standing in front of the tiny house of Jacob Black.

I stand outside for a good five minutes just wondering why I even came. It's the early hours of the morning, probably two or three. Like he wants to deal with a frazzled teenage girl that he hardly knows. I can hear him inside; his deep, even breathing and slowed heartbeat signal that he is fast asleep. I bite my lip indecisively. I feel guilty about waking him.. But I need him.

I rap on the door with my knuckle and listen guiltily as he wakes up with a gasp like he was having a bad dream. I knock again and hear him mumble, "Comin', comin'." Moments later and the door is opened with Jacob, rubbing his eyes sleepily and his black hair more of a mess than usual wearing only a pair of sweats, standing in the darkness. When he sees me, he brightens up and gives me a big grin that I can't possibly not smile back to no matter how much Alec upset me.

"Come in," he says immediately, fumbling for a light switch. He finds it and the place floods with light as I step inside and shut the door behind me.

"I'm sorry for coming by at such a ridiculous time," I tell him, gnawing on my lip as he leads me into a cramped living room. He slumps down on the worn sofa and gestures for me to do the same. I sit next to him, separating our bodies by one small cushion. If I had thought there was sexual tension between Alec and I.. That was like a static shock compared to nuclear explosions. Every nerve in my body is acutely aware of Jacob's presence – and the fact that he is half-naked. His perfectly toned muscles are practically begging me to ogle at them. I distract myself by staring at the odd coo-coo clock on the opposite wall. Jacob doesn't seem like the coo-coo clock type.

"Don't worry about it," Jacob says good-naturedly. "Is there something wrong?"

"Not really.." I suddenly realize I have no idea what I'm suppose to say to him. I can't just blurt out that my vampire best friend is being an overprotective psychopath and I had the oddest vision of him kidnapping me. On the way here I decided that that must be some old, randomly dredged up nightmare of mine. Maybe when I was a small child and Alec seemed scarier and more intimidating. But why had my sub-conscious come up with that particular scenario? And why had I shouted for my parents and, more oddly, Jacob?

"Did something happen with your friends?" Jacob asks perceptively. I look over at him in confusion, my eyebrows furrowing.

"How did you know?" I ask warily.

He shrugs. "I mean, you come to my house in the dead of night all flustered yet unharmed. I don't know what else it could be. Besides, I don't really like the vibe I get from them just from the way you talk about them."

I smirk a little. "They're really not so bad. It's just one of them.. He's really hot-headed. He's got a hell of a temper. And he's very overprotective. We've been best friends for a really long time so he has some sort of sense of entitlement when it comes to me. He thinks he deserves to know where I am and what I'm doing at all hours of the day. It drives me crazy sometimes. He drives me crazy sometimes. It's annoying." I rant until I can manage to stop myself.

"Lemme guess – he found out that you've been sneaking around to see me?" Jacob guesses so quickly that I'm flabbergasted. Do I really make myself that easy to read?

"Yeah, sorta. He thought you were my drug dealer," I giggle at the pure absurdity of it. With the thick sexual tension between us, I decide not to mention the other thing Alec accused me of doing with Jacob.

Jacob snorts and says, "Some friend you got there."

"I know," I sigh. "But I didn't come just to rant to you about Alec."

"Alec?" Jacob cuts me off before I can continue.

"Yeah, that's my friends name.." I tell him in confusion. He couldn't possibly know Alec. Nobody knows Alec – no humans at least. Every vampire does.

A dark shadow passes over Jacob's face. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" he asks in a dark and deadly voice. My eyes widen a little. How the hell is he guessing all this? How could he possibly know that Alec would react that way?

"No of course not," I breathe. It's not very convincing but I'm too surprised to manage much more. Jacob studies me for a minute, not as much observing my eyes for lies as observing my body for damage. Satisfied with the result of his observations, he relaxes and lightens up again.

"Well if you didn't come here to rant about Alec, what did you come here for?"

Another question I'm not prepared for. I have no idea what I came here for – all I knew is that I needed to be with Jacob.

"I just.. I don't want to be alone. I want to be with you." I whisper quietly, wondering if my words carry a double meaning. When you can't figure out what your own words mean, you know life's getting confusing. As if I need any more hints to that.

Jacob smiles gently and compassionately. He opens his arms and I smile back appreciatively as I scoot over and snuggle into his side.

He brushes his fingers through my hair and then trails his fingertips over the exposed skin on my shoulder and the nape of my neck. It's the most soothing sensation I've ever felt. He kisses the top of my head and whispers, "Sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."

"Thank you," I murmur before slipping away into the darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

My eyes flutter open and are instantly blinded by sunlight. After taking a minute to adjust, they scan my surroundings. I'm laying on a beat up guacamole-green couch with muscular, warm arms wrapped around me. My ear is pressed against a broad, solid chest and a slow heartbeat is thumping in my ears. I carefully tilt my head up and see Jacob sleeping peacefully with his black hair falling into his face.

I gently untangle myself from where I'd accidentally fallen asleep last night. I really shouldn't have done that. Alec and Jane are probably worried sick – not that I care much what Alec thinks after his stunt last night. I'm just about to silently slip out and return to the hotel as fast as I can until I remember what Alec did last night. Then I quickly decide I don't care if they're worried about me. I hope Alec's guilt eats him alive.

I tiptoe into the kitchen and begin rifling through his cabinets and fridge, looking for something to eat. The coo-coo clock says it's in the middle of the afternoon, but I'm definitely in the mood for pancakes. I find a box of pre-made batter and add in eggs, milk, water, and the last of his chocolate chips. I also grab the cinnamon, my go-to secret ingredient. As I'm halfway through making them in an old pan on the stove, Jacob wakes up. He stares at me for a few seconds dazedly, and then the smell of chocolate chip pancakes hits him and he goes from laying on the couch to sitting at the table so fast I didn't think it was possible for a human. Hungry boy.

I giggle as he grins eagerly at me. "Mornin'," he manages to say right before he digs in to the three pancake stack I set in front of him drenched in maple syrup with sugar sprinkled on top. I've never made it like that before and I don't know how I know that's the way he likes it.. I just know.

"Good morning, sunshine," I smile, running my hands through his unruly hair as I walk back over to the stove.

"These are amazing," he practically moans around a mouthful of pancake.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," I scold teasingly, whacking him lightly on the back of his head with a dishrag. "And it's kind of hard to screw up pre-made pancakes so I'd imagine they can't be too bad."

"But these are way better than when I've made them! And they look like they do in the commercials – all golden-brown and not burned," he gushes, leading me to believe he's probably had a pancake-making mishap or two. "You're like the pancake goddess."

I laugh and flip another pancake as I munch on one I'd just finished. I like my pancakes without syrup or butter – they taste best that way. And I especially like them after they've been in the fridge for a while and are nice and cold. The chocolate chips are hard and chunky and taste amazing.

"You sound high," I tell him. "Are you always like this after waking up?"

"Just excited," he replies with a grin. "It's not everyday I wake up to find a gorgeous girl in my kitchen cooking me chocolate chip pancakes. Actually, it's never."

I blush when he calls me gorgeous and tuck my hair behind my ear. I flip the last pancake and then set it out and turn the stove off and put the pan in the sink. I grab another pancake and start eating it and bring Jacob two more. As I set it down in front of him, he suddenly grabs me and pulls me down on his lap as I give an involuntary squeal.

"Remember the other night how I told you that you're perfect?" he whispers huskily. I nod meekly, trapped in his chocolate-brown gaze. "It's _so_ true." He smiles and leans in and kisses me. He tastes like maple syrup.

He pulls back after a moment and I reluctantly get off his lap. God his chest feels good without a shirt on. It takes every ounce of my willpower to pull my eyes away from his perfectly sculpted abs. By the smirk on his face, I'm guessing he noticed my noticing.

I sit in the wooden chair across from him and continue to eat my pancake. "I slept for over twelve hours. That's the best sleep I've gotten in years." Normally I have trouble sleeping peacefully. I twist and turn and shake and sweat in my sleep as my dreams are haunted by ominous, shadowy figures with red eyes. The nightmare is the same every night – me standing alone in a dark forest with figures always dancing in my peripheral vision, dancing away just fast enough that I can't see them whenever I turn to look. They hiss and whisper things I can't understand and their eyes glint blood-red from the shadows. I always awake just as a pale hand reaches out to grab me.

I've had that dream every night for as long as I can remember. I've always attributed it to living with a huge clan of murderous vampires. That's good enough to give any girl nightmares, right? Even if they're technically my family.. Tonight I didn't have that dream though, and the only factor change is that I was with Jacob instead of with any Volturi member.

"Good, maybe you'll decide to sleep over again soon," he says a little bashfully with the cutest, most heart-melting smile in the world.

"I'd love to," I murmur, undeniably entranced by him, not thinking about the fact that if Alec and Jane don't bite my head off for staying out all night this time they'll surely do it if I pull this again.

Jacob beams. "What're you doing tomorrow?" he asks as he finishes off his fifth pancake.

"Hmm," I think for a minute. Today marks a week of my time spent in Seattle. Originally that's the maximum amount of time we intended to stay here. But I can't leave yet. I feel like there's things I need to do, things I need to see. I don't know what they are, but I do know that if I leave now I'll regret it. Especially considering I'd be leaving a piece of my heart here with Jacob Black. "I'm not sure," I finally say. "Depends on how angry my friends are with me. What'd you have in mind?"

"I wanted to give you that Tour de Forks that I promised you," says Jacob with a happy-go-lucky grin.

"That sounds really perfect," I reply instantly. If I actually go through Forks, maybe I'll see the things I need to see and do the things I need to do.

"So will you try extra hard to get away from your friends?" he asks, leaning forward on the table on his elbows. I chew on my lip and deliberate. "For me?" he adds with the cutest puppy-dog face I've ever seen. How could I say no to those big brown eyes and that jutted lip even if I wanted to?

"Of course," I smile at his delighted expression. "And seeing as my friends are going to kill me whether I come back now or in a while.. What should we do today?"

His grin broadens. "Swimming."

One hour, a trip to the nearest department store, a dozen calls to all Jacob's friends, and we're walking down to the beach. Jacob's wearing a pair of black swim trunks and I'm wearing a generic, simple violet string bikini. The fabric is cheap and feels rough against my skin in comparison to the top-of-the-line things I normally wear, yet because Jacob had picked it out himself and bought it for me I love it more than any of the countless swimsuits I've bought in the past.

"Um, Jake?" I say quietly and nervously as we get a few hundred yards down the beach from where I can see his friends setting things up. How they beat us here, I have absolutely no clue.

"What's wrong?" he asks immediately, coming to a dead halt and turning to face me.

I bite my lip. "I just.. Can you do me a favor and not mention to any of your friends that I spent the night last night? I don't want them to think I'm _that_ kind of girl, you know.. I've never even spent the night at a guy's house before in my life.. I know we didn't do anything, but I would just prefer it if they didn't have any reason to be suspicious. I just really like your friends and I don't want them to think less of me or anything. And.. I really like you. I don't want your friends to think you're hanging around a girl that's no good for you." My cheeks burn red and Jake smiles softly. I look down at the colorful stones embarrassedly.

Jacob put one finger beneath my chin and gently tilts my face up. "I won't tell a soul. Cross my heart." He smiles and uses his other hand to draw an X over his chest where his heart is. I smile and lean up and peck his lips quickly, then lace my fingers through his and continue towards his friends.

"Juliet!" Claire squeals excitedly as we approach, bouncing over to me. Her rich black hair is pulled into a high ponytail the sways with every step and her smooth, coppery skin and big black eyes are make-up free. She's absolutely gorgeous, and Quil, Jake's friend, watches her as if she's the most amazing thing he's ever seen. I recognize that dreamy, awed look he gives her. It almost looks like how Jacob looks at me.

"Hi, Claire," I reply with a smile, returning her sudden and surprising hug.

"C'mon, let's get in!" she says as she begins dragging me towards the waves. Suddenly, the sun breaks through the clouds. I cringe as it hits my skin, which gives off a luminous glow. I glance worriedly around, but no one else seems to notice. My heart returns to a normal pace.

The water actually looks a deep-blue with the sun reflecting off it, making it much more inviting. The water is cold, a sharp contrast to my heated skin, but I'm used to cold by now. Claire, however, is used to the warmth that seems to run through the veins of the La Push folks, particularly Jacob and his friends, and a shudder ripples through her petite frame as she gets far enough in for the waves to hit her bare tummy.

I, however, dive in, allowing my perfect ringlets to become drenched in salty water. I love the freeness of being in the water, the lightness of my limbs. The contrast between being so limited and confined on land to the freedom and weightlessness of being immersed in water is similar to the contrast between being confined and scrutinized by the Volturi to the care-free and adventurous times I spend with Jacob.

As I bob back up to the surface, two strong arms suddenly wrap around me and lift me up bridal style. "Jake!" I screech as he throws me a few feet away. He was being gentle – I imagine with those biceps he could've thrown me a lot harder if he wanted to.

I splash into the water and return to the surface once more. I quickly try to brush my wild hair out of my face and find Jacob laughing hysterically at me. "You look cute when you're wet," he tells me with a cheeky grin. I scowl and splash him with water.

"Jake, are you being mean to my girl?" Collin asks as he comes up and slings an arm around my shoulder. Jacob shrugs innocently. Collin smiles and looks down at me, "Want me to beat him up for you?"

I laugh. "It's okay, I think I can handle him."

A chorus of _ooh_s goes through the boys and I smirk as Jacob chuckles. "Probably," Jake admits, coming over to me and nuzzling my cheek with his nose. I smile and close my eyes, loving the feeling of his hands on my waist. His teeth gently graze my ear. "You can handle me all you want," he whispers, his warm breath sending shivers down my spine. How sexy can one guy get?

"I'm holding you to that," I whisper back with a flirty wink. We smile at each other and I pull back and look around to find everyone staring at us with soft, joyful eyes. They immediately snap their attention to whatever they can as fast as they can when I look up at them. I blush beet red.

"They're just happy for us," Jacob informs me upon seeing my embarrassment. He pulls me close to him, his arms fitting perfectly around me. Both of our skin is slippery and wet and it's incredibly hot.

"What is _'us'_ exactly?" I ask a little awkwardly as I pull back to stare into his eyes. He scratches the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"Well I mean.. I was sort of under the impression we were dating.. I know we've only been on two official dates, if you count this but.. It's right being with you. It's the way things should be." He says this so matter-of-factly that it knocks me breathless. His seriousness and sincerity and smoldering brown eyes are enough to make my head spin.

"I know," I agree in a whisper, gently caressing the side of his face with the tips of my fingers. He smiles and swoops down to plant a kiss on my lips.

There is no way I am going back to Italy any time soon.


	9. Chapter 9

"I've never met anyone as beautiful as you," Jacob whispers in my ear as I sit cuddled in his lap on his couch. It's dark outside and I know I should be getting home – Jane and Alec have called me over a hundred times and texted me more than that – but I don't want to leave Jake. I sent them a quick text a while back telling them I was alright and just needed some time to myself to think things over. Their replies were less than satisfied and overly disgruntled, but compliant nonetheless.

"You're too sweet," I say bashfully while biting my lip.

"Just honest," he replies sincerely, his lips trailing down my throat. I'm wearing his hoodie, which is like a dress on me.

"Well, since you're being honest, I need to ask you something and I want you to be totally honest with me," I tell him sternly, sitting up and looking in his eyes to read his emotions. He nods compliantly, staring at me in that adoring way that I had noticed Quil looking at Claire. "I really should go back to my hotel, but I would just love to spend one more night away from my friends for a change. Would it be too improper of me to stay her another night?"

Jacob laughs outright and my cheeks flush embarrassedly. Is really that ridiculous of me to ask to stay again? I've never been in a relationship, I don't know the proper etiquette. "Of course you can," Jake says, running his fingers through my hair. "You don't even have to ask. You can stay whenever you like."

My blush disappears almost immediately and I grin and kiss him deeply. "Thanks, Jakey," I murmur while resting my forehead against his.

"_Jakey? Where are you?" The same high, childish voice that I heard in my Alec dream calls out into a quiet forest with light filtering in through the thick canopy formed by the trees. "Not funny, Jacob!" The voice, which seems to belong to me, says again. A twig snaps and I jump with a gasp, searching the distance. _

_Suddenly, out of no where, a mass of russet fur leaps out from the shadows ahead and lands right in front of me. I squeal, but not in fright, in excitement. It's a huge wolf with eyes the size of baseballs that look too intelligent for any animal and a big, slobbery tongue lolling out the side of his mouth which contains giant, sharp teeth. That tongue flicks out and licks me across the face. _

"_Gross, Jakey! I'm telling Aunt Rose!" I giggle, turning around taking off with a laugh. A wolfy bark sonds behind me and I hear big, heavy paws thudding after me. _

I snap back to reality as Jake says, "Are you okay?"

"I'm um.." I trail off, putting my hand to my head and feeling my pulse throbbing there. I close my eyes and shake my head, then shakily lower myself back to Jacob's chest. He wraps his arms around me comfortingly, asking no more questions.

As I linger in that state between sleep and awake where you are faintly aware of your surroundings yet your eyes are closed, I register Jake getting up with my in his arms carrying me as if I weigh nothing. He sets me down in what feels like a bed but my eyelids are too heavy for me to see. A blanket wraps around me and he takes care to tuck me in snugly. I feel his warm lips press gingerly against my forehead as he brushes my hair back. "Sweet dreams, Renesmee," he whispers. My mind is distantly aware that he called me the wrong name, but that fact slips away quickly as unconsciousness overtakes me.

The next morning I awake with a yawn and a stretch. I look around to find myself in a small bedroom that must be Jake's. The bed seems too small for his large, muscular body though. I look around the room, assessing it. It's white and bare and doesn't seem very Jacob-like at all.

I feel weird lingering in here without him, almost like I'm snooping, and so I quietly tiptoe out of the room and down the short hall into the living room. Jake is laying on the couch, his legs hanging over the end and one arm hanging off the edge to the floor. He looks so peaceful, so absolutely beautiful that it takes my breath away.

I smile lovingly at him, gently stroking the side of his face and playing with a piece of his hair, and then pull myself away and into the kitchen. Today I make eggs and bacon which Jacob is just as grateful for as he was for the pancakes yesterday. It's hard to believe I've stayed two nights with a guy I just met; it's very unlike me. But I trust Jacob more than I trust even Alec and Jane. I'm more comfortable with him too, somehow.

"So do I still get that Tour de Forks?" I ask Jacob as he finishes off his sixth strip of bacon.

"Mhm," he mumbles around a mouth full of food with a nod. He swallows and adds, "Let's leave as soon as possible. I want to show you everything before you have to go back to your friends." The look of disgust on his face every time my "friends" are mentioned is indescribable.

"Then I'll get dressed," I hop off the counter where I had been sitting and nibbling on a strip of bacon. I peck his cheek swiftly as I pass him and then put on the plain red v-neck and pair of skinny jeans that Jacob had also bought for me at the department store yesterday so I'd have something to put on when we got done swimming, but I had opted for his hoodie instead considering it looked much more comfy.

I grab my phone and the fringe purse I had been carrying the night Alec lost his temper with me. I have more calls and texts from Alec and Jane. I don't reply to any, but notice that Alec's have gone from apologetic and regretful to just straight up pleading, begging, and pathetic. I doubt he told Jane the truth about what happened. If she knew, I bet she'd be pissed at him.

Jacob lends me an old leather jacket he had from when he was younger, before he went through his growth spurt he said, so it's only a little too big and the sleeves a bit too long. I'm very thankful for it as the wind whips at us on Jake's motorcycle. He parks in what looks like an out of business convenient store and informs me that we'll be walking from then on.

He keeps me nestled in his side as we walk with his arms around my slim waist and mine holding on to him beneath his jacket. It's a particularly cold day but he makes me as warm as if the sun was shining directly on me.

We must've gone all over that town. Not that it's a large town – at all – but still, it was a lot of walking. He pointed out even the smallest things. And all of it was just so overwhelmingly familiar. I couldn't shake the feeling that I had been to all of those places before. Of course I didn't voice that to Jacob, he'd think I'm a lunatic, but it drove me nuts.

We spend the entire day, from morning to late afternoon, going through this town. It's a quaint place really. I like it.

"There's one more place I want to show you." Jake announces as we cross the parking lot to his bike.

"Where?" I ask curiously. I was sure we'd gone everywhere that's anywhere in Forks, from the old diner on the corner to the one and only Forks High.

"It's right outside of town," he says, "I think you need to see it."

I shrug and comply, getting on back with him and wrapping my arms around him. Honestly I just don't want my time with him to come to an end. He drives for a few minutes and then abruptly turns. The entrance that he turns on to is so overgrown with weeds that I hadn't even noticed it.

As we drive down a long, winding road, I get the eeriest feeling deep in the pit of my stomach. A feeling that makes me want to run screaming, yet at the same time keeps me glued right here to Jacob to see what waits ahead.

Finally, we break through the thick mass of trees and a large expanse of overgrown grass that obviously hasn't been cut in years, if ever. Sitting in the middle of the tall grass is a large, beautiful white house. My heartbeat suddenly picks up for some reason and a sweat breaks out across my forehead. I'm nervous but I have no clue why.

"What is this place?" I whisper to Jacob. It looks like an abandoned, haunted mansion. Something in the deep recesses of my mind is pounding, trying to get me to remember where I've seen this before and causing me a headache.

Jake wordlessly gets off the bike and helps me off. I wait for him to answer the question as we walk up to the front door, but he never does. The door is, surprisingly, unlocked. He opens it and walks in as if he owns the place. Inside there is furniture covered in white sheets and bare walls with squares of discoloration on them as if large pictures in frames used to hang there. There's even electronics and games here like whoever once resided here didn't care enough about such expensive luxuries to be bothered with taking them away.

I try to swallow and find my mouth and throat are so dry that I can't. I begin feeling dizzy. Suddenly, images flood my head, going off like fireworks.

"_I'll always love you, and I'll always protect you," a petite girl with long brown hair and doe-like eyes whispers to me as we rest on the very couch in the center of this room. She's a vampire, but her eyes are a strange topaz color. _

"_I'm glad someone will finally always be around to enjoy my cooking as much as you, darling," a young woman with hair the color of rich caramel laughs as I scarf down an omelet in a fancy kitchen that I can sense is through the doors on the opposite wall, though I have no idea how. _

"_And then he bowed his head like any good southern gentleman would and said, "I'm sorry, ma'am."" A dainty, pixie-like girl with spiky black hair and large eyes tells me, ruffling the blonde hair of the man holding her on his lap who smiles and kisses her cheek as they sit on the winding staircase on the far side of the room. _

"_Well aren't you daddy's brilliant little angel," a guy who looks hardly older than me declares adoringly as I check-mate him in a game of chess set up in the middle of this room. His hair is nearly identical to mine in shade and we have very similar bone structure. His eyes are the same tawny-yellow of the others. _

"_Bells, is it okay for squirt to watch Saw?" a burly guy with curly dark hair and biceps as big around as my head shouts from where he lounges on the couch with me next to him.  
"Absolutely not!" a sugar-sweet voice calls back from somewhere in the house. The guy shrugs at me with an apologetic look and turns on Dora the Explorer instead as I laugh. _

When I come back, Jake is watching me carefully. "I need to sit down," I breathe, and then all but collapse on the couch. Everything goes black.

It could've been seconds or minutes or hours before I awake, I have no clue. Jacob is sitting next to me with worried eyes. He breathes a sigh of relief as my eyes open.

"You scared me to death," he breathes as I sit up.

"I- I don't know what happened," I stutter. "I think you should take me back to my hotel. I need to think about some things." I say, hardly coherent. Jacob nods silently and stands, leading me out to his bike with one hand on my back to keep me steady. My head throbs the entire way back.

What the hell was that?


	10. Chapter 10

When I return to the hotel room, I find it empty. Jane and Alec must be out hunting or finding some way to distract themselves. I flop down on my bed face first with my mind racing at a hundred miles a minute. Every flash of unexplained scenes that has gone through my head since arriving here in Seattle replays over and over.

Why am I seeing these things? What do they mean? The only explanation I can think of is that they're long-forgotten dreams of some sort. I mean.. They can't be memories. They just can't. Why would I have memories of someone calling me Renesmee? My name is Juliet. At least.. That's what Aro named me.

I have always assumed that Aro stuck with my birth-given name from my birth parents, whom Aro told me he rescued me from. But maybe he renamed me. Maybe my name was originally Renesmee... But that can't be right. My mother died and my father hardly glanced at me before abandoning me out of hatred. No one would've been around to name me.

Unless I was named before I was born. But who would've been around to reinforce that name? Aro says I was dying near my mother's corpse when he found me. I had no other family. So I can't be Renesmee. That's honestly ridiculous of me to even consider it. Jacob knew this Renesmee girl well, and considering we're about the same age, he would've been just a child during the brief period of time that I possibly could have been called Renesmee. It just doesn't add up.

But then again.. What about the wolf creature? The one I had seen when I called Jacob 'Jakey'. Why would I be having visions of a child version of me calling for Jacob and being greeted by a wolf? There's no way that was a dream from when I was a child, unless I have some sort of pre-cognitive ability which I highly doubt. But most importantly, why was Jacob a wolf? Either my sub-conscious is sending me some freaky, twisted messages, or Jacob Black is not telling me something.

Well, I already know he's not. He's given me so many mysterious, knowing looks. And today.. When he took me to that house.. Did he know it would cause me to see all those things? Who were those people? The girl with the long brown hair had stared at me with so much love, yet I don't know her. The man with the auburn hair had called me "daddy's brilliant little angel" as if he is my father. But my father hated me! And the caramel-haired girl, and the little pixie, and the blonde guy, and the muscular one. They are so familiar. I know I've met them before.. But I just don't know where. It appeared as if I knew them when I was a child. But that just can't be!

Suddenly the hotel door bursts open, derailing my train of thought. Alec walks in and looks at me with cold eyes.

"You've been gone for days. We had no clue where you were."

"Off doing drugs and selling my body into prostitution," I tell him nonchalantly and his eyes flash with anger. I'm not going to let Alec Volturi scare me and bully me around just because of what happened the other night. I know he'll never seriously hurt me – Aro would be furious with him and as much as Alec tries to pretend otherwise, his life's goal is to please Aro.

"Pack your things. We're leaving." Alec commands.

I stare at him blankly, not comprehending. He whirls around the room, throwing his things into his suitcase.

"No." I say automatically, my mind going from a frozen stand-still to rushing so fast I can't keep up with my own thoughts. I can't leave yet. Especially not with Alec. I will not go back to Italy right now.

Alec suddenly halts. His shoulders hunch and he sighs. He turns to face me, his irises nearly black and the expression in them utterly heartbreaking. He stares at me with infinite pain and regret. "I'm sorry, Juliet." He whispers in a broken voice.

I say nothing, just continue to stare at him evenly while carefully making sure none of my sympathy towards him creeps into my expression. He doesn't deserve it.

"I truly am," he continues, walking towards me slowly. "I just.. I want to protect you. From everything. I've tried so hard to keep you safe your entire life. Because.. I love you."

A layer of impenetrable ice covers my bones and joints. I am frozen there, staring into his vulnerable, angel-like face. He has never told me he loves me like that. He has never said it with such raw passion.

"You what?" I whisper with wide, startled eyes, sure I must have heard him wrong.

"I'm in love with you, Juliet. You're the most amazing person I've ever known. I got carried away the other night because I care about you so much that the thought of you being with another guy drove me crazy." His confession hits me like a semi-truck. I continue standing there like an idiot, entirely paralyzed.

Alec seizes the opportunity and the next thing I know his lips are against mine. Soft, sweet, caring. Portraying everything he can't say in words. He moves so fast, even faster than at the club. My lips respond to his fiery admiration mechanically, feeling like I'm suppose to but not exactly wanting to.

His teeth suddenly dig in to my wrist and that jolt of pain is exactly what I needed. I then realize how wrong this all feels. These lips shouldn't be rosy, icy, perfectly sculpted marble– they should be warm and coral-colored and taste like cinnamon.

He's suddenly kissing me again, his hands pulling me closer by my waist.

"Stop," I mumble against his lips. He jerks back as if I'd slapped him.

"What?" his voice is so quiet I almost can't hear it. His entire face reflects pain and heartbreak.

"I'm not ready for this." I tell him, looking down at my feet so I don't have to meet his eyes. "This trip is my first time experiencing any real independence. I don't want to get into a relationship with you just as soon as I'm finally having a real life. I think.. I think I want to spend some time away from the Volturi." I get it out as best as I can, feeling like my throat is constricting.

Alec backs away from me slowly looking mortified. "But.. I thought.. At the club.." His lips quiver the tiniest bit. I want to reach out to him and take him in my arms and apologize but I resist.

"I was drunk, Alec. And I've had a crush on you since I was a child. But that's all it is – a crush." I deliver the painful words with as much conviction as I can. I don't know if it's truly just a crush. But I do know that my feelings for Jacob are stronger after a few weeks than my feelings for Alec are after years. That has to mean something.

Alec's face somehow gets paler. His eyes glimmer with tears. With a rush of unnatural wind, I'm suddenly in the room alone.

Tears begin to silently slide down my face and I don't have enough control over my mind to function my limbs to be able to wipe them away. I can't believe I just hurt Alec like that. Alec, my best friend who just confessed his love for me. Alec has never done that for a girl as far as I know. He's known by the vampire world to be a player.

Alec doesn't return and Jane is still no where to be found. My stomach is growling but I'm too frazzled and drained to be able to muster the energy to walk over to the kitchen area and rifle through the fridge for a snack.

I collapse on the bed once again and fall into a restless sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

I awake the next morning and find that I'm still alone. I haven't seen Jane in days. This might even be the longest I've spent away from her. And the same goes for Alec, if you don't include our brief encounter last night.

And after spending this short yet somehow infinite amount of time away from them, I feel so utterly…free.

Now that the shackles are off, I'm not going to give them the opportunity to put them back on. I need to talk to Jacob. Maybe he'll let me stay with him for a while.. I know we just met and I know he has a job and bills to pay and I'm just another mouth to feed.. But I need some time to find myself. I'd actually enjoy getting a job.

The more I think about the idea of Jacob and I living together on our way, each of us working by day and playing and partying by night, I grow more excited. I grab my phone from where I'd flung it on the nightstand. Just before I'm about to call him, though, the screen lights up with an incoming call. It's Jacob.

"Hey, I was just about to call you," I tell him as I answer.

"Miss me already?" he teases.

"More than you can imagine," I sigh, stretching out on the bed and staring at the patterns in the textured ceiling.

"Well I have a perfect why to relieve that. Come see me." I can practically see the cute, flirtatious grin on his face.

"When?" I ask, wanting to get out of this desolate hotel room as fast as possible. My mind keeps replaying the scene with Alec last night.

"Right now. Or as soon as you can. Maybe we could do another bonfire tonight."

"That sounds perfect," I tell him. "I'm going to shower and get dressed, could you pick me up in about an hour?" I ask as I peek out the curtain and see that the sleek car that Alec and Jane had hijacked is nowhere to be found.

"Of course," says Jacob. "I'll see you soon, sweetheart." The line goes dead. I jump up and rush into the bathroom, turning on the shower and stripping off my clothes. I cleanse myself head to toe, scrubbing a little harder than usual. I think I feel dirty about what happened last night with Alec.. I mean, Jacob and I are sort of boyfriend and girlfriend now aren't we..? Surely we must be if I'm going to ask him to live with him for a while.. But he hasn't said anything about it.. No matter what, I still feel as if I cheated on Jacob. I should've stopped it sooner but.. Alec has always been my fairytale prince, and it took me a second to realize that he's been replaced in my fantasies.

I dress in a hurry, taking more time in the shower than I realized. I throw on an outfit similar to the one I wore at the first bonfire – a long sleeved shirt and jean shorts – and swiftly apply natural, earth-toned make up. My hair dries in perfect, swirling ringlets, something I definitely have my vampire genes to thank for.

Soon enough, I'm back at Jacob's house, sitting on his counter as he calls up his friends to see who can do a bonfire tonight.

"Almost everybody's in," he announces as he sets his phone down. "We're in charge of chips so I'm going to run to the store real quick. You can stay here if you want, it shouldn't take long and you look kind of tired." Jacob's observant, dark eyes notice what I tried to cover with make up – the signs of my disturbed sleep.

"Hurry back," I tell him. He walks over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"'Course I will," he murmurs, lips trailing up my throat. My neck is such a sensitive area and I love it so much when he kisses or touches there. My breathing speeds up, something I'm sure doesn't escape his notice. He lightly suckles on my throat and an involuntary moan comes from my lips. I wrap my legs tightly around him, twining my fingers through his choppy, inky hair.

Suddenly his lips are on mine. The passion between us is so strong it could fuel the sun. His tongue is suddenly in my mouth dancing with mine. His fingers push the hem of my shirt up so that he can hold on to my bare hips.

He hoists me up and next thing I know, we're laying on the bed in his room. He's on top of me, carefully supporting himself so he doesn't crush me. I can still feel some of his weight though, and every inch of me is covered by every warm, burning inch of him. It feels so right.

Our lips are molded together and my hands trail down his chest, feeling the perfectly sculpted planes of his muscular torso. For a moment I begin thinking that things are about to go way farther than I had anticipated. But then Jacob suddenly pulls away so that he's sitting up, using my hands to pull me up with him.

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask shyly.

"No, not at all," Jacob says immediately, "More like you were doing everything too right. Too much more of it and I wouldn't have been able to stop myself. I don't want to rush this," he says sincerely, staring at me with so much adoration that I can hardly breathe.

"Thank you," I whisper although I'm not sure what I'm thankful for. I guess that he cares enough about me to stop things from going too quickly. He nods with a small, soft smile, then gently cups my face with one hand and brings me closer to him. He gently kisses my lips one more time, and then gets up and heads for the door. A few seconds later I hear his bike rev up and then speed away.

"I have something I need to talk to you about," I tell Jacob as we near the large blue and green fire. "So remind me later so that I don't chicken out of it."

"Aye, aye, captain," Jacob says goofily. I peck his cheek quickly, knowing that I'm going to get pulled away from his side as soon as we get a few steps closer. Sure enough, Claire's hands grab me and pull me away, going on about something or other that I can't seem to tune in to. I'm too busy watching the way Jacob interacts with his friends. It's cute.

"You've got it good," Claire informs me suddenly, noticing that I wasn't paying much attention to her.

"Huh?" I reply stupidly, dragging my eyes away from Jacob.

She nods to where he's standing. "You've got it good for him. I can tell just by the way you look at him. You're head over heels for that boy."

I blush and bite my lip embarrassedly. "I like him a lot," I hedge, looking anywhere but into her perceptive brown eyes.

She clucks her tongue. "Just admit it to yourself, darling, it becomes much easier after that," she says wisely, and then gets up and heads to food as she sees Jacob heading over to me.

"What did you girls talk about?" he asks as he takes her sit next to me on the driftwood bench.

"Oh, nothing,"

**JACOB POV**

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" I ask Nes, recalling that she had mentioned that before we'd arrived at the bonfire. I put my arm around her waist and pull her close to me.

"Well.." she trails off, looking up at me from beneath her long, black lashes.

"C'mon, you know you can tell me anything," I coax gently.

"I just.." she sits up straighter, fiddling with her hair and the hem of her shorts nervously. "Gosh I'm hot," she says, and I immediately drop my arm, knowing my warm skin isn't doing much to help that. She pulls up the sleeves of her shirt to her elbows and fans herself with her hand.

"You are," I say to her with a wolfish grin. She smirks at me.

"You think so?" she replies in a seductive murmur, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"I know so," I am barely able to get my voice above a whisper. She has this effect on me – it's like being hypnotized.

She continues to smirk and then glances out at the dark water. "Maybe we could go for a swim later," she suggests and then leans in close, her lips nearly touching my ear, "I look even better wet."

A shudder of desire ripples through me and I know she feels it because she smirks again. What happened to sweet, innocent little Renesmee? As much as I love her, I can't help but love this flirty, sexy Renesmee also.

I grin and grab her hand that rests on my leg, playing with it mindlessly. "I'm sure you do," I reply, looking up at her from beneath my lashes with a devilish smirk.

She says something else as she continues to stare out at the water, but for once I'm not hanging on her every word. My total focus goes to the swollen red wound on her inner-wrist with the purplish bruises surrounding it. I've seen that kind of a wound too many times – it's a vampire bite mark. And those bruises look like fingers. There's another bite mark, but it's older and healed over and more like a scar now. I brush my fingers over the wound and the scar and feel that they're much cooler than the rest of her skin.

"What the hell?" I whisper. I look up and see her staring at me in shock. The blood has drained from her face, leaving her as pale as a full vampire. She glances down at the bite mark and then plasters on a big, fake smile.

"My friend brought her stupid dog and he, um, bit me." She gives the lamest excuse I've ever heard. My blood begins to boil and my eyes darken. Another shudder ripples through me but this one is most definitely not of desire – it's of pure rage.

"You let them feed off you?" I growl darkly. Her jaw falls open and the light diminishes in her eyes.

"I don't know what you mean.." she gulps nervously.

"Bullshit. You do know. Your parents would be so disappointed in you." I tell her in a quiet, deadly whisper, my vision tinted in red. Those disgusting leeches feed off my Renesmee. What the fuck is wrong with them?

"I don't.. I don't understand.." she squeaks, and then suddenly her eyes flash dangerously. "What did you say? Don't bring my parents into this. You don't know a thing about my parents, or me for that matter."

I chuckle darkly, shaking my head as angry tremors roll down my spine. My eyes flash up to meet hers. "You don't even know who you are."

I stand abruptly. I survey the bonfire and realize all my friends and pack mates are watching me with wary eyes, two seconds away from intervening and stopping me from doing something I'll regret. I storm off down the beach to cool off.

"Jacob, wait-" I hear Renesmee call as I get about fifteen feet away, but then hear Claire holding her back and telling her to give me some space.

I find a piece of driftwood a good two hundred feet away from the party. As I sit there I begin to feel guilty. I completely blew up at Renesmee, probably confusing her even more about things she's already questioning. I left her alone with a bunch of people she hardly knows. I wouldn't be surprised if she never wants to speak to me again.

But after about twenty minutes, after I've cooled down and feel nothing but guilt for blowing up at her and anger towards the Volturi, I hear light, dainty footsteps heading towards me. I look up from where I had my face buried in my hands and find Renesmee standing in front of me, her arms crossed over her waist. Her eyes stare at me with such compassion and absolutely no trace of accusation or anger. She's so sweet and pure. How could I have let them take her? I was suppose to be guarding her! Bella left me in charge of her! I was so, so stupid.

"I'm so sorry, Nessie," I whisper, not caring that I called her the wrong name yet again. She's not Juliet. She's Renesmee. She's my Renesmee.

She's still and silent for an unbearable moment, before sitting next to me on the driftwood. She takes my hand and laces her fingers with mine. She takes a deep breath before saying, "Obviously you know more about me than I expected. I don't understand how you do, but you do. And it scares me. So unless you can offer me some sort of explanation right here and now, I'm going to go back to my hotel room, packing my things, catching the first flight back to Italy and forgetting about you and all the confusing feelings and images you've made me think of."

My body goes rigid. I look up at her and find those pools of melted chocolate have frozen over. They're hard and detached. I shake my head slowly. "Renesmee.." I whisper, wanting to change her mind but not knowing how.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" she suddenly explodes, jumping off the piece of driftwood where she had sat with her legs crossed and back straight, the perfect image of calm and composure. "My name is Juliet! Not Renesmee! Is it too hard to get this through your thick head? I don't know who the hell that is, but I. Am. Not. Her." She glares at me, her fists clenched tightly. Ouch. That stung.

My jaw clenches angrily. "Clearly," I mutter under my breath. She heard, of course, and suddenly her angry expression melts to one of hurt.

"I just want explanations," she whispers helplessly. "I just want to know how we know each other. Is that too much to ask?" I watch a glistening tear roll down her cheek. Her rapid mood swings are making my head spin. From compassionate, to unfeeling, to angry and mean, to hurt and sad. I stand and very slowly envelope her in a hug.

"Just think. I know you can figure it out." I whisper into her hair. She releases a quiet sob. I hold her for a moment longer until she abruptly wrenches herself away from me. She steps back and wipes the tears from her face furiously.

"You scare me, Jacob Black." she whispers, a distant look in her eyes. Then she turns and begins to stride slowly towards the forest without so much as a glance back. She's realized that I know what she is but not realizing that the others here know, she continues walking until she's past the cover of the trees and then she takes off and soon she's gone.


	12. Chapter 12

I burst into the hotel room, my head reeling and my entire body feeling like the bones spontaneously dissolved. Jane and Alec both leap to their feet when they see me coming in. I collapse onto my bed, sobs ripping out of my chest. The tears flow hot and fast down my cheeks out of confusion, hurt, betrayal, Jacob's stinging words, and pain.

"What's wrong with her?" I vaguely register Jane's voice. "Is she drunk?"

"Hell if I know," Alec cries, sounding desperate. Cool hands grab me and turn me gently over, the iciness an antidote to my hotter than normal skin. "She's burning up," Alec gulps. He looks blurry because of the tears in my eyes. I see his rose-red eyes searching my body worriedly.

"I-I j-j-j," I give up on my attempt to speak after my words come out as choppy stuttering.

"Shh, Jules, shh, you're okay," Alec whispers, clutching me to him frantically. He holds me on his lap, his arms wrapped tenderly around me and rocks me slowly back and forth. After about an hour of that affection coupled with Jane soothingly brushing her fingers through my hair and rubbing my back, I finally calm down. My breathing and heart rate even out and eyes are unable to produce any more tears. All that's left is heartbreak, confusion, and a throbbing headache.

"Are you okay, love?" Alec whispers, trailing the pad of his thumb down my profile. I shake my head weakly.

"Not at all. I just.. I want to go home." I sniffle, sitting up and removing myself from Alec's arms.

"I'll arrange everything, honey, we'll be home in no time," Jane declares before rushing out of the room, already dialing a number into her phone.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Alec asks quietly as we sit in total silence.

I stare blankly at the opposite wall. If I told Alec what happened, Jacob would be dead within the hour. If Alec had any idea that there's a human – at least, I think he's a human – out there who knows what I am.. What he and Jane are.. His sense of duty to the secret wouldn't allow him to let Jacob live, even if I begged.

"No." I whisper, and Alec nods and sets to work packing up all of our things as I sit on my bed and continue to mull things over.

Jacob and I knew each other before that day in the café. He pretty much straight up told me that. He knew my parents – why else would he have mentioned them that way? He said they'd be so disappointed in me.. That hurt, especially since I've begun to question the story Aro fed me about my parents. There's no way that could be true. But could the truth of my childhood really be so bad that Jacob would rather me figure it out on my own than just simply tell me? He has to know. The fact that he won't fill me in on details of my own life is beyond frustrating.

And then, how does Jacob know about me? How does he know about vampires? I glance at the Alec's bite wound on my arm and the faded scar from the night at the club. My body has healed it so much that I would figure human eyes wouldn't be capable of seeing it, but I had watched Jacob's thumb trace the outline of it exactly. The wound from last night is still pretty fresh.

Jacob had known what caused it. He had known that someone had fed on me. In my dream, Jacob had been a wolf. I already assumed Jacob wasn't telling me something about himself, but I never thought it could be something like this.. I never even considered that Jacob might not be human.

But if he's not a mortal, what is he?

I groan and flop back down on my bed, burying my head in my pillows. This is just too complicated. I can't deal with it. My brain will explode before I figure out the answer.

Jane comes back in and announces that the Volturi jet will be ready to depart in about two hours. Right now, that feels like an eternity. All I want is to put as much distance between myself and Jacob Black and all these confusing memories and feelings as possible. I want to go back to Volterra and forget this trip ever happened.

Well.. Maybe that's not what I _want_. But it's what I need. I need to just go back to my old life, back to the way things should be for me. I raise my face from the pillow and glance at Alec. He's staring out the window, the glow of the moonlight playing on his high cheekbones and midnight-black hair and adding an extra sparkle to his bloody eyes. He looks like an angel of darkness. Is Alec the way things should be for me? Do I belong with him?

"Alec?" My voice breaks the heavy silence that hung over the room. Alec turns towards me, his eyes curious and cautious as if one wrong move and I'll burst into hysterics once again. "I- I'm sorry about last night.." I say softly, tucking a lock of curls behind my ear.

"I'm just going to go…somewhere else.." Jane fails at making an excuse and exits the room in a blur of white and black. Alec slowly crosses the room and sits next to me on the edge of the bed.

"Don't be sorry, Jules. I shouldn't have rushed things like that. I got carried away. I've never felt like this for a girl. If you don't reciprocate the feelings, then that's not your fault; you can't control love. If you don't want to be with me, then that's that, I'm not going to bring it up again." He vows somberly, causing tears to well up in my eyes. Tears for how sweet his words are, and tears because no matter how hard I try, I can't force myself to feel for him like I feel for Jacob. But that's done and over. I need to stop thinking about him.

"Just give me some time, okay? We'll see how things go." I take his hand in mine, giving it a gentle squeeze which he returns.

"Whatever you want," he promises. I lean over and quickly peck his cheek. He grins at me and then releases my hand and heads for the door. "I'm going to go get something to drink before the flight. Aro doesn't like us snacking on the crew." He winks devilishly at me, and then he's gone, evidently not worried about me running off again.

I bite my lip undecidedly, and then open the door of the hotel nightstand and pull out a pen and pad of paper. I turn on the lamp and begin writing.

**JACOB POV**

I slam the door of the house closed behind me angrily as I return home after wandering the beach all night. I half-expected Renesmee to be lounging on my couch, awaiting me to come home so we could make up and apologize to each other, but she's not here. The house is empty and silent except for that damned coo-coo clock.

"You're an idiot, Jacob Black," I growl to myself, kicking over one of the kitchen chairs. How could I have been so stupid? I pushed her away, just like I have been so goddamn careful not to! I was even planning on calling Bella soon, but I guess that plan has gone to hell now. I should've just told her everything.. But I couldn't. I didn't know how. Especially in front of everyone.

But there had to have been something I could've done. I didn't though. I didn't save her from returning to those monsters. Just like I didn't save her from them when she was a child.

Images of that day flash through my head. I grip my hair, nearly shredding it from the roots. I want to smash it against the wall, but I don't have the money to repair that. My hands clench into fists.

I can still hear her screaming for me. Her screams echo in my ears. How can she not remember that day? Every detail of it is etched in my memory. One of my fists suddenly smashes into the coo-coo clock as if it has a mind of its own, silencing that stupid piece of shit forever. Good.

I should never have handed Renesmee off to Seth. He was a just a kid. He had no business even being there, but the more the better that day. I was so, so stupid. I needed to be there though. I needed to fight and defend my pack. The instincts of the imprinter and the alpha in me warred, and I chose the solution I thought would appease both. I also needed to be there to defend Bella. She was young, she hadn't been a vampire for hardly any time at all, and they relied so heavily on her. All I could think about was that frail, brown-eyed, clumsy girl that I had once been in love with. I needed to be there for her.

"You needed to protect Renesmee!" I hiss, removing my hands from the counter with a lot of willpower, knowing I'm about to break the wood.

I know Bella still blames me for what happened to Renesmee. Everyone did, although no one said it aloud. My motives were pure, but my actions were idiotic. I bet Leah would tell me straight up that it's my fault and I'm a moron, if she were still here. Because of me, she died for nothing.

"_Did the kid make it?" she had choked out, vampire venom coursing through her from the nasty bite on her throat. No one had realized how bad it was until she managed to phase back to human. Blood gushed out, her wolf genes unable to mend something so tainted with vampire and the vampire venom unable to mend a wolf. _

"_Yeah," I had lied, holding her even tighter to me and brushing her choppy hair out of her sweaty forehead. That was the first time she ever referred to Renesmee as anything more than a mutant or freak of nature. _

"_Good," she smiled in a satisfied way, as if her whole existence had been given purpose. "Don't tell any of the guys I said this," she instructed, unaware in her delirium that they were all standing around watching her with teary eyes. "but imprinting is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. If that kid has a soul that is meant to match up with yours, then I guess she can't be too bad." _

"_Thanks, Leah," I whispered, tears freely streaming down my cheeks. _

"_A-and could you do me a few favors? Tell Seth he's a good kid and to stay out of trouble. Tell my mom I love her and I'm sorry for all the gray-hairs I caused her. Tell the guys I know I was a nuisance, but they all really did mean the world to me. And.. Tell Sam I never stopped loving him. Not for a second." Leah's lips quivered and her entire body shook with the effort to get all those words out. _

"_Of course. We love you, Leah." I murmured as Seth dropped to his knees beside her, grabbing her hand and sobbing. _

_Leah smiled at me one last time, a beautiful smile with no trace of bitterness, and then her dark eyes glazed over and her body went still. _

I groan at the memory that has haunted me every single day since and flop down on the couch. When I do, I hear a crunching and rippling sound. I sit back up and look down at the couch cushion to see a plain white envelope laying there. Renesmee's scent lingers on it. She must have come back and waited for me, and when I took too long, left me a note! Maybe I didn't totally screw up! Maybe she'll be back!

I quickly tear open the envelope and read the note inside:

**_Jake,_**

**_I'm sorry for what happened tonight. I don't even really know what happened. I shouldn't have acted like that though. I figured you deserve some explanations though, so here it goes._**

**_First of all, whatever you know about my kind and my world, I suggest you forget it as quickly as possible. It's going to be difficult for me to cover for you, but I think I can do it. Just don't tempt fate any more. And if you're not human yourself, then that would've been something you probably should've mentioned at least by the second date._**

**_Second, I know that you know something about my past that I don't know. I guess you've been trying to get me to remember this whole time. I have remembered some, but not enough apparently. And I'm done trying. Whatever life you knew me from, whoever I was then, that life is over and that girl is gone. I have a new life and a new name. And I intend to stick with those._**

**_And lastly.. I'll never forget you._**

**_Goodbye, Jacob._**

**_- Juliet_**


	13. Chapter 13

"We're going to have to stop in Philadelphia to refuel," Jane tells me as we board the small Volturi plane. "But not including that, we should be back in Italy in about 12 or 13 hours. As soon as we get home we have to go shopping or something. I feel like this trip has driven us apart." Jane's big, maroon eyes are sad. I nod wordlessly. I'm not in the chit-chatty mood. Jane realizes this pretty quickly and leaves me alone and I almost feel bad when she gives me a sad sigh and walks dejectedly away.

"Just wake me up when we land," I instruct whoever is listening as I flop down into one of the comfortable leather chairs. I rest my forehead against the cool windowpane and watch numbly as we ascend from Seattle. My eyes try desperately to pinpoint La Push once we get high enough, but soon we're above the clouds to get away from the rain. It feels like a piece of my heart has been ripped out and is still back on the groun, back in La Push.

I shouldn't have been trying anyways. That's definitely not the best way to kickstart my resolution to forget all about Jacob Black. I doubt I'll be forgetting any time soon anyways though. It feels like a piece of my heart has been ripped out and is still back on the ground, back in La Push. The rest of my heart is now a bloodied, mangled mess.

I glance wearily around. Alec is in the front of the plane reading a novel that I don't care enough to try to identify. Probably something dark and depressing about how the world is just a black vortex of doom and gloom that slowly sucks us all in. I think reading those things makes him feel better about himself for some reason.

Jane is at the very back of the plane, putting in her earbuds to her iPod. She always listens to music on plane rides. It drives me crazy considering I hate all her song selections. I sigh and return my head to the window, this time allowing my eyelids to close. Exhaustion from sobbing until my chest hurt and staying up until midnight overcomes me quickly.

As I'm in that state between sleep and reality that I so often find myself caught in, the melody from the song that Jane is listening to drifts into my head. It's soft and beautiful, sounds like a piano maybe, and very classical.

Claire de Lune.

Wait, how did I know that? I never listen to classical music.

Suddenly, fireworks go off in my head.

Every detail hits me.

Even the smallest things come rushing back.

My mother's name was Bella. She was small and brunette and she loved me very much. She would rock me to sleep and read me poetry and kiss my forehead every night. She loved to play with me and take me out into the forest.

My father's name was Edward. He was tall and handsome and had messy auburn hair. He would teach me to play piano and chess and checkers and buy me anything I wanted. He would throw me in the air and always caught me, no matter what. I adored him.

I had an entire family. Alice was my aunt, the small pixie-one, and so was Rosalie, who looked like a blonde supermodel. They would dress me up and switch my clothes a million times throughout a single day and were always taking pictures of me and fawning over me. Jasper and Emmett were my uncles, and Jasper would tell me stories and always seemed to be looking out and protecting me, while Emmett would let me climb all over him like a jungle gym and helped me get away with things my parents didn't allow me to do.

Carlisle and Esme were my grandparents. Carlisle would always measure and weigh me and then reward me with small treats. Esme would let me help her garden and would watch movies with me and would cook me anything I wanted.

And then there was Jacob. Jacob isn't human – of course not – Jacob's a wolf. Jacob is a big, russet-colored wolf. So are all his friends. I loved all of those wolves. Especially my Jacob. Jacob was my best friend. Jacob loved me and I loved him. Jacob cared for me and played with me and watched after me.

We lived in a big, white mansion on the outskirts of town. We hunted animals in the nearby forest. We got along as a perfectly happy, if slightly dysfunctional, family. And then… And then what?

The train of memories suddenly halts, and I jerk up right. Claire de Lune had ended and Jane is now listening to a different song. My breathing is slow and shallow. The entire world seems to have stopped spinning.

All the flashes of memories suddenly make sense. The hand through the coarse fur – that was me petting Jacob. Renesmee is my real name, given to me from my real family. All the places in Forks looked familiar because I really had been there when I was a child. Rosalie was the blonde girl I saw hollering at me to get back inside the house because she didn't want me to smell like dog. And Jacob was the dog, whose smell seems to offend vampires. Except he's a wolf, not a dog! That's how he is still the same age then as he is now, he doesn't age. And how he knew what I am, and how he knew who Alec was. Anyone who has anything to do with the vampire world knows who Alec is. All the things I'd seen when Jacob took me to that white house suddenly make sense – and the white house itself makes sense too; it was my house!

But.. There are still things I don't understand. And I'm almost afraid to know. But I've come this far, I have to figure the rest out. With shaky fingers, I pull out my phone and use the plane's wifi to get on the Internet and look up Claire de Lune. The song begins to play, and a tingling sensation in the back of my head alerts me that I'm about to be bombarded again.

The next few things I see petrify me. Suddenly, the reoccurring nightmare I've had since I was a kid with the figures dancing in my peripheral and what I saw with Alec carrying me through a snowy forest suddenly make sense.

The Volturi came to kill me and my family.

I see vampires from all around the world coming to that great white house to defend my family. To defend me. I remember their names and their faces as if it was just yesterday. I watch them train and I see their fear.

Suddenly, I'm no longer on the plane.

_I sit on the back of a large, russet-colored wolf. Jacob. My stomach is doing terrified summersaults. I watch Jacob move backwards to stand next to a large, sandy wolf. It's Seth. I don't know how I know, but I do. They stare at each other for a moment, and then I feel Jacob coaxing me towards Seth. Taking the hint, I crawl onto Seth's back, who whines in protest but is stopped by a single, significant look. _

_We stand on one end of a large, snowy clearning, wolves spanned out beside us and vampires spannined out in front of us. On the opposite end of the clearing are ominous black-cloaked figures - the Volturi. There's a debate going on between the two groups of vampires, but I tune it out in my fear. All I can focus on is Jacob, standing strong and proud, my mother, looking ready to take on the entire Volturi single-handedly, and my father, fierce and cunning. Both Jacob and my father look set on protecting my mother, whereas my mother looks set on protecting both of them, me, and everyone else. _

_My attention is snapped to the middle of the clearing by the smell of a fire and smoke. I look up just in time to see a pretty blonde vampire go up in flames - Irina. The snitch. Tanya and Kate lunge forward to avenge their sister, and though our small army tries to hold them back, it's too late and the gathering is too precarious. A fight breaks out like lightening striking a patch of dry grass. _

_Seth turns and runs like the devil is on his heels. I cling to him for dear life as we zigzag through the forest. But suddenly there are cloaked vampires blocking us, and Seth has to make a detour and head off in a different direction than the straight shot he'd be heading on._

_But the vampires chase him and block his way and soon enough they herd us back into the clearing where a battle is raging. Seth is young – he doesn't know what he is doing and the vampires have scared and confused and disoriented him easily._

_Just as we pop through the trees back into the clearing and both of us realize we've been duped by the much more experienced quartet of vampires trailing us, I witness the end of a struggle between a petite vampire and a scrawny grey wolf. It ends with the small vampire digging her teeth into the wolf's jugular, causing a howl of pain and a gush of blood. The wolf staggers back and collapses as the vampire dashes off. As she does, her hood falls to reveal bobbed dark-brown hair. Jane. And I know who that wolf is, again without knowing how I know – Leah._

_Seth growls furiously and darts towards where his sister lay in a crumpled pile of grey fur. His sprint is so fast and unexpected that I go tumbling off of him. I land on my back, knocking the air out of me. Before Seth even has time to register that I'm no longer buried in his sandy fur, a pair of arms has me in their grasp. This arms are icy cold and accompanied by a Hulk-like body and a black cloak._

_I scream a blood-curdling scream, and suddenly I'm no longer in the arms of anyone, but soaring through the air. I collide into the snow once again and look up through my tangled hair to see the bulky Volturi who had grabbed me fighting with the person who had saved me, a fierce-looking young man with messy auburn hair and fiery topaz eyes – my dad._

_I don't even have time to so much as get back on my feet before another set of arms grabs me. I hear Dad cry out for me and I cry out myself. "Mommy! Daddy! Jacob!" I scream, my arms reaching out for help. My eyes lock with Jacob's from across the field. But then the trees close in around me and he disappears from sight._

I gasp as I sit straight up in my chair. I had been sucked into the past. It felt as if I was really there all over again.

"Jules? You okay?" a soft, tender voice murmurs from beside me. I look over and am met with Alec's ruby eyes. He's the one who took me. He kidnapped me. He tore my life to shreds. It was him.

"_Stop it, you pathetic little hybrid!" _

I gulp as I stare at him. Fear curls inside the pit of my stomach.

"Peachy," I say weakly with a fake smile. He gives me a curious look, but then decides not to push me and pats my hand before returning to his seat. I flinch at his touch, but he doesn't notice.

My heart feels like it's racing a mile a minute. My head spins with all this new information. All the dots suddenly connect in my head and it's like a nuclear reaction. My family loved me. Jacob loved me. I am Renesmee. Leah died for me. This isn't my real life. These people aren't my real friends and family. I was kidnapped by the Volturi.

Unable to handle it all, my vision swims and then everything goes black.


	14. Chapter 14

I awake with a soft moan. My joints ache and my muscles are sore, as if they've been locked in the same position for a long time. I must've been out for a while. I look around and find Jane still listening to music and Alec on the last few pages of his novel. They hadn't even noticed, just thought I was asleep. Some friends.

A hysteric, hiccup-like laugh escapes my lips. Some friends, indeed. They had kidnapped me. They have lied to me my entire life. They've called me by a false name and raised me like a lab rat. How could I have been so naïve? How could I have gobbled up Aro's pathetic stories and excuses without ever second-guessing him? I'm just as bad as the rest of them. I might as well have called him 'master' all these years.

And how could I have fallen for Jane and Alec's friendship ruse? Was Alec professing his love to me all part of the act? Aro probably forced him to so that I would want to stay with the Volturi after Jane and Alec most likely called him and tattled on me for going out and mingling with humans. Well, humans as far as they know. And as far as I knew at the time. I mean really, how's a girl to guess that the sweet guy she met a corner café is actually a wolf who knew her from a childhood life that she has forgotten?

Now that I think about, my relationship with Jake is really odd. I mean, he knew me when I was a child, a toddler even, probably a baby too. And I get that he must not age, but after knowing me and caring for me like an older brother when I was so young, doesn't he feel sort of strange smooching me now that I'm grown? Seems pretty awkward if you ask me.

And how the hell is it possible for me to be contemplating all of this so calmly? It's like my brain flipped a switch when I was out from frantic and frazzled to numb and thoughtful.

"Where are we?" I ask in a groggy voice.

"We should be landing in Philly any minute now." Alec responds without taking his eyes off his book. They're both totally oblivious to the revelations I've made about them. Neither of them realize that I despise them with a passion now.

I ask in my most innocent voice, "Is it behind an airport like usual?" I need the confirmation to calm some of my worries. The landings for the Volturi's planes are always hidden away behind actual airports.

"Yeah," Jane replies this time, "Alec and I are probably going to feed, just in case. Are you?"

Perfect. "I think I'm going to go to the airport and go to the bathroom, I hate using the plane bathrooms. I might also pick up something for Corin in the giftshop, you know she loves quirky snowglobes. And then I'll grab something to eat for later, feed on a human, and meet you back here. It'll take half an hour or more." I realize I'm rambling a bit and hope they don't catch on to my nervousness.

"Want me to come?" Jane asks although she looks uninterested entirely.

"No, that's okay, I'm just going to rush through." I lie easily, not feeling bad in the slightest. They've lied to me my entire life. They're not really my friends.

When the plane lands, Alec and Jane both meander off. I linger for a moment, stretching and yawning and doing other human-like things. Once they're gone, I hurry to where Alec is sitting. Just as I'd hoped, he's left his wallet. I quickly swipe all the cash in it, and do the same with Jane's purse.

Just so they don't think I've been kidnapped or something (oh, the irony) I use a Sharpie and the back of a receipt I find in Jane's purse. I scribble a short note and leave it on my seat so that they don't find it as soon as they come back and cause me to lose some of my precious time.

_**I know. **_

_**-Renesmee **_

I scurry off the plane and into the crowded airport. I look up Jacob's contact, commit his number to memory just in case, and then discard my phone into the trashcan. I'm not about to have Alec and Jane GPS track me or use some chip Aro installed in my phone without me knowing.

I exit the airport and hail the first taxi that I find on the streets, wanting to throw off my scent. I have the taxi take me to the city limits, pay them, and head off on foot. And I don't stop.

* * *

**WELCOME TO LA PUSH – NATIVE AMERICAN RESERVATION**

That sign breathes life into my jelly legs and throbbing muscles and growling stomach. I have hardly stopped to rest and eat since I ditched Jane and Alec. I don't have time. Jane and Alec are probably on their way back Italy by now, unless they spent longer than I figure searching for me. Once they get to Volterra and tell Aro, they'll rally and come up with a game plan and Aro will sic Demetri on me and then all hell is going to break loose. That gives me a few days to a few weeks to reconcile with Jake, meet my old family once again, and figure out how to keep the Volturi from either killing me or kidnapping me again. I'm not sure which would be worse.

I stumble up Jacob's porch. I can hear him inside pacing nervously. His fast and furious footsteps come to an abrupt stop as I near. As I raise one weak arm to knock, the door is suddenly flung up, saving me the effort.

Jacob stands in the doorway wearing only a pair of ratty cargo shorts, showing off his impeccable muscles. His hair is more messy than usual and his eyes look tired even as they sparkle with joy upon seeing me. His lips curve into a hopeful smile.

"Juliet?" he says confusedly.

I shake my head slowly. "Renesmee."

I've never seen Jacob Black look as elated as he did in that moment. I almost thought he was about to sprout wings and fly. A huge grin nearly cracks his face in two and he grabs me in his arms, pulling me inside his house and spinning me in a circle.

"I knew you could do it!" he crows as he sets me down and hugs me. My arms encircle him, for the first time fully appreciating who he is – my Jakey.

"I'm so sorry," I tell him. "I shouldn't have yelled at you and I shouldn't have just left without actually saying goodbye. I shouldn't have left at all, actually. I really wish I would've remembered everything sooner."

"The important thing is that you did," he murmurs into my hair, still hugging me. "And Nes.. I'm so, so, _so_ sorry about that day.. I shouldn't have let Seth.. I mean.. I just didn't think that there would actually be a fight.. I should've protected you." His shoulders hunch and suddenly I'm supporting a lot more of his weight, which is a much more difficult feat when you're half starved and exhausted.

I pull back and look into his devastated eyes. "None of that," I command, tapping his nose almost like a naughty dog. "It's in the past. I don't hold you responsible for what happened. It's no one's fault except _theirs_." I can't even bear to utter the name now. They repulse me.

Jacob stares at me with a small smile playing on his lips. "You really remind me of your mother sometimes."

My body goes tense. "M-my mother?"

"Yeah. She lives somewhere in Canada now with your father. They're really great people, those two. Except she's hardly ever left the house since that day.. We've all thought you were dead since. We figured they had killed you."

A shudder runs down my spine. "When can I see them?"

Jacob thinks about this for a minute. "Well first I have to call Bella and explain the situation. She probably won't believe me. So then I'll have to call Edward. I would just skip that and call Edward first, but Bella would be furious at me if I did even though she won't believe me. It makes no sense, but that's just Bells." The way Jacob smiles when talking about my mother is enough to almost make me…jealous. Which is absurd, I mean she's married and she's my _mom_. But still, it's obvious how fond of her he is. "And then I imagine they'll be down here within hours of convincing them."

I take a deep breath in and exhale slowly. "Okay. Well.. Let's wait to call them until tomorrow. I haven't eaten or slept in a while and I could really use a hot shower.." I hint not-so-subtly.

"Oh yeah, of course," Jacob gestures to where he knows that I know the shower is.

I begin to head that way as Jake goes to the kitchen to cook me something, taking my bag with me that I had brought on the plane with a single change of clothes so that I could've changed before arriving in Volterra.

I take a hot shower and get out and dry off. My body is so sore that shoving my legs into skinny jeans just does not sound pleasant. I wrap the fuzzy white towel around my body, my wet ringlets splaying across my ivory shoulders, and walk to where I can hear Jake cooking in the kitchen. It smells like Italian – maybe lasagna – which he knows is my favorite.

"Jake?" I say a little shyly, noticing suddenly that the towel is pretty short. When Jacob looks up at me, his eyes roam my bare legs and arms and shoulders hungrily, causing a blush to rise to my cheeks. He looks intoxicatingly attractive without his shirt on. I realize for the first time that I'm all alone with Jacob in his house, both of us more naked than not, and a sexual passion crackling between us that could burn the place down.

No, no. Too soon to be thinking about those things.

But that body..

Good god, get a grip, Renesmee.

"Uh.." Jake looks dumbfounded as his eyes absorb my every feature. He suddenly pulls his eyes away and scratches the back of the neck which he always does when he's feeling nervous. "Yeah?" He goes back to chopping an onion, making an obvious effort to not allow his eyes to so much as glance at me.

"I was just wondering if I could borrow a shirt or something.." I rub my arm in the same manner that he scratches his neck. I've never been nervous like this around a guy. Not awkward nervous – no, more like butterflies and excitement nervous.

"O-of course," Jake mutters. He stares straight ahead as he walks past me and I'm suddenly very aware of the effect I have on him. I grab his arm with one small hand and he stops abruptly. "What's wrong?" he asks, looking down at my hand and then into my eyes.

A blush rises to my cheek as I realize all the inappropriate thoughts running through my head as my fingers clench around his solid forearm. "Um, nothing," I mumble awkwardly, allowing my hand to drop. He stares at me longingly for a moment longer before rushing into his room and returning hardly a second later with a large black hoodie.

I return to the bathroom and put it on, and by the time I'm back in the kitchen my stomach sounds like it contains an angry alien trying to claw its way out. Jacob chuckles at the obnoxious noises as I suck in my gut in my best attempt to silence it.

I all but inhale the lasagna. It's the best I've ever tasted, and that's not just because I'm famished. I didn't realize Jacob is a terrific cook.

So let's think about this. He's sweet enough to stick by me though I've acted like a brat towards him, loving enough to think of ways to get me to remember a past life without taking the easy way out and telling me and most likely causing me to have a panic attack, clever enough to mend a seemingly irrepairable and scattered family, is a supernatural being just like me that can also live forever, has unearthly good looks and a killer body, and he can cook?

I just might want to spend the rest of my life with this boy.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I haven't written one in a while and there are a few things I need to respond to . First of all, thank you to all my lovely reviewers. We're up to 63 currently and that's just so great. You guys are the best and every time I see that I have a new review, I honestly go straight to work on this story once again, overcoming any writer's block. A special thanks sakura1120 for your long and thought-out review, it meant a lot!**  
**Also, in response to CuteArielXOX and all others upset over Leah's death: it IS incredibly sad, I know. But realistically, I don't think that there could be such a battle with the Volturi and no casualties occur. Leah was swift, but much smaller than the other wolves as I'm sure you know and thus not as strong and Jane was equally as swift and stronger. I hated having to do it, but honestly the story left me no other choice.**  
**I know everyone is impatient for the Cullens to return (so am I) but don't hate me for any surprise twists I throw your way! (;**

**xoxo JCBMA**

My eyes flutter open as a soft, contented sigh escapes my lips. I glance around confusedly. The last thing I remember was all but passing out on Jake's couch as _Iron Man_ played on the small T.V. Now I'm laying in Jake's plush bed with two strong, protective arms wrapped around my waist and a muscular teddy-bear like body snuggled against mine. Jake's head is laying directly on my chest.

"I'm sure you're enjoying that pillow," I murmur with a small smile, my fingers playing mindlessly with his hair.

"Oh I am," he whispers while snuggling deeper into my side. I jump a little, not thinking he was awake.

"You scared me half to death, Jacob Black." I scold. He looks up at me with those big brown eyes that have a devilish sparkle. He moves up and presses his soft, warm, sweet lips to mine.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he whispers against my skin as he peppers my face with gentle kisses.

"I'll forgive you. This time." I tease, tapping his nose with my index finger and then skillfully maneuvering myself out of bed. The absence of his warm body gives me a sort of empty feeling inside. "But don't let it happen again." I give him a playfully stern look from the cramped bathroom as I use his comb (the only hair utensil he has, much to my dismay) to pick through the few tangles in my otherwise flawless copper ringlets.

"Ay, ay, captain," he murmurs sleepily with a weak attempt at a salute before burrowing back into the heap of pillows and blankets.

"No, wake up, Jakey," I plead, not even thinking twice about the nickname, "I'm starving."

This seems to grab his attention. He looks up at me with careful and observant eyes. I twitch a little under the intense scrutiny. "Come in here," he instructs, leaping up from the bed with not a trace of his tiredness to be found. He bounds into the kitchen, pulls out a chair for me, and pours me a glass of OJ in under fifteen seconds. The next thing I know, pans and other kitchen appliances are clanking and clattering, and in a matter of minutes I have two pieces of toast that each look as if they were a moment away from being burnt to a crisp and a cheese omelet sitting in front of me.

I scarf it all down with greed. Jacob gazes on at me but in my hunger I hardly am aware. After I finish, I'm still not satisfied.

"You need blood." Jacob states once I lay my fork down, his face showing only mild disgust.

"I know," the thought had already crossed my mind long before, "but I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't?" Jacob's thick, dark brows knit together in confusion.

I gnaw shyly on my lip. "I was raised with the idea that humans are weak, mindless creatures that are basically just blood bags – replaceable and not worth wasting pity upon. But.. I mean, when I remembered everything, that's the first time that the idea of feeding off of animals has ever occurred to me. And my real family does it.. I did it for a while when I was a child apparently. . I think maybe I should test it out again, see if I can do it. I think it'll make it a little easier for my parents to meet me once again if I'm not some sort of heartless, merciless, life-sucking Volturi machine."

Jacob's expression goes soft and compassionate. "Nes," he murmurs, walking over to me and kneeling next to me while taking my hands in his. "even if you still drank from humans, you wouldn't be some sort of monster like that. You could never be like that. And none of us will ever blame you for any life you've taken – _they_ did it to you, it's _their_ fault not yours. But I still don't understand. Just because you've decided to convert, why can't you have any blood now? I'll take you to the forest where your family used to hunt if you need a starting point."

I look down at the linoleum flooring, feeling stupid. "I don't need a starting point – I need a whole how-to manual. I'm… scared. This seems pretty big, you know, considering it goes against all that I was raised to believe in about vampire and human nature. I think I want to wait for my mother or father or just anyone who knows what they're doing to go through it with me and just be there. I don't want to do it alone."

"_How to Go from Draining Humans to Draining Bunnies for Dummies _– sounds like a bestseller to me." Jacob teases, evoking a small giggle from me. "But hey, we used to have competitions like this all the time – seeing who could take down the biggest kill. I can help you, if that's okay with you of course. I was planning on us crashing at the old Cullen place today anyways so it'd be easier for your parents to get to us."

"I remember that," I tell him in a far-off voice, recalling distant times. "That sounds really perfect."

"You're really perfect," he smiles sweetly, giving me a chaste peck on the lips.

* * *

"Alright, Black, it's on," I grin competitively at the large, russet colored wolf looming over me at my side. My memories do him no justice – he is huge. His eyes are the size of baseballs and his paw is the size of my face if not bigger. He gives me a sound that resembles a bark. "On your mark," I announce, "get set.. Go!"

We're both off like rockets. My first kill had been a deer, and Jacob had merely accompanied me and watched from a distance. The blood of the dear was sour and had an odd consistency and an after taste that made me want to gag, yet it was nearly satisfying which is what counts. After a few more kills I became slightly accustomed to the foul taste and texture, and now is our grand finale over who can take down the largest animal.

My finely tuned predator's instincts guide me through the thick, moss-covered trees. I can hear Jacob a distance away still looking for prey also. I try putting more distance between us, knowing I'm much stealthier than he is and he's going to scare off my game.

I bring down a female mountain lion whose blood is the best yet. I take her carcass back to Jacob like some sort of prize. I find him proudly standing over an elk. So far all we'd seen are deer, so he must've imagined he'd hit the jackpot. Until he saw a large carnivore slung over my shoulders, that is.

He gives an indignant bark and darts off into the forest. A moment later he returns in human form with a pair of shredded, cut off jeans on. There's an adorable pout on his lips. "Not fair." He says as he stands over my kill, observing it.

"Don't be a baby," I roll my eyes. "I won. We can have a rematch some other time if you really think you can beat me," I smile boastfully at him.

Jake scoffs. "How humble of you," he says sarcastically with an amused smile tugging at the corners of his pouting lips. "So are we going to your house now?"

Hearing him call it my house is so strange. I hadn't really thought of it, but I guess it sort of is. "Lead the way," I gesture in front of me and Jake takes off in a sprint which I keep up with easily. I get a few feet ahead of him just to challenge him and every time he speeds up to match me with an indignant rumble of a growl deep in his chest.

We break through the thick wall of trees and into the overgrown lawn of the huge mansion. Jacob leads me inside just like he did last time we were here. This time, though, he rips off the white sheets blanketing all the furniture and discards them in the corner before flipping the TV on and flopping down on one of the large sofas.

"Comfortable?" I snort as he stretches his arms back across his head.

"Very." He throws me a cheeky grin.

I roll my eyes and tell him, "I'm going to take a look around." He nods as I slowly ascend the stairs and as I make it to the top I hear him take out his cellphone and begin pressing buttons. I'm glad he waited for me to leave, even hearing my parent's voice might be a little too much right now.

**JACOB POV **

The ringing that signals my phone connecting to another seems to last forever. But after only two rings, a sweet and enchanting voice says, "Hello?" Bella's sounds puzzled and I can practically see her eyebrows scrunching together. It's the same confused look I've seen on Renesmee countless times in the past few weeks.

"Hey Bells," I greet casually as if this is an everyday occurrence when in fact I haven't talked to her in years. "Long time, no see."

Bella sighs and I can't tell if it's out of exasperation or longing. "What do you need, Jacob?" I'm going to assume exasperation.

"I need to tell you something. Promise me you won't freak out, okay?"

Bella snorts dryly. "I doubt there's anything you could tell me that would make me freak out." Her voice is so dull and lifeless that it causes my heart to clench painfully.

"Well you're wrong there," I tell her. "Okay here it goes.." I take a deep breath. "Renesmee is alive."

There is a long pause on the other end, not even a slight breath to be heard. A slow, deadly hiss breaks the silence and I know I'm about to get yelled at or, worse, hung up on.

"Just hear me out, Bells." I say quickly. "I know it's crazy, but it's true. They didn't kill her, they just kidnapped her," I don't dare speak the Volturi's name around her. "They've raised her like some sort of pet, renamed her and everything. But she was in Seattle and I ran in to her! For some reason her mind repressed the memory of all of us so when I saw her she didn't even recognize me. But I've been getting her to remember and just yesterday it all came back to her. It's really her, it's our Renesmee. I swear, Bella, on my father's grave." My words are rapid and almost indistinguishable.

There's another long pause. Then a menacing growl breaks it, "How dare you, Jacob Black. You are a twisted, despicable person. I don't care how much you want to see me, making up some absurd story about _her_ of all people.. That's just low. Don't you _ever_ speak to me again." The line goes dead. I'm left with my jaw hanging open dumbly, my mind trying to catch up with what just happened.

After taking a minute to process it, I give a frustrated sigh and call Edward. He answers on the first ring. "What did you do Jacob?" he growls. "Why is Bella laying in bed sobbing?"

"Look, Edward, you have got to hear me out. It's Renesmee." I repeat the story to him that I had told Bella. There's a short pause and then a I hear him exhale slowly.

"Are you sure it's her?" he asks quietly, hardly able to contain the hope in his voice.

"I'm absolutely positive." I swear, glad that he believes me.

"I trust you." He tells me solemnly. "We'll be there before nightfall."

**A/N: Another author's note? *groan* I know, I know. I just wanted to tell you not to be too put out that the Cullens didn't arrive in this chapter, next one I promise. I just wanted to dedicate this chapter mostly to Renesmee becoming veggie. Sorry for the disappointment and I'll update ASAP because I know you've been waiting but, on a personal note, I have a new little sister that was born today so I'm not going to be getting much more writing done today. I'll do my best though!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thanks for the congrats on my little sis everyone, means a lot! Here's some responses to reviews: anonymous person who was wondering: my sister's name is Kassidy and she's beautiful. And twilightlover12: I wish I was secretly SM! Thank you so much! And lastly, lei sun: thank you for pointing that out, it's the first inconsistency I've noticed. In the third chapter I mentioned that 2 of the wolf pack members were killed in the Volturi battle. Initially I planned on making those two Leah and Collin (he was young) but I accidentally mentioned him at a bonfire a few chapters later. That was my mistake and considering I already put Collin in, just disregard the fact that I stated two pack members were killed.  
And now for the moment you've all been waiting for.. IT'S CULLEN TIME. **

My posture is rigid as I sit waiting on the ivory sofa. I'm stone still save for my shallow breaths, rapid heart beat, and twiddling fingers. I stare fixedly across the room beneath a small stand where two glistening glass fragments sit abandoned. It looks like something broke and no one had the time or care to be sure to clean it up entirely. Being raised by the Volturi, who are total neat freaks, I always notice these sort of things.

Jacob's voice breaks me out of my nervous mind babbling. "Don't faint on me, Nes," he jokes, although there's an edge of seriousness in his voice. I take a deep breath and give him a weak smile which he returns with a soft, compassionate one. He reaches over from where he's lounging languidly watching a basketball game on mute and gives my hand a gentle squeeze. "It's going to be okay," he promises in a whisper. "You have nothing to worry about. They love you."

Before I have time to respond, my ears pick up on distant, swift thuds. Jake and I both sit up straighter at the same time. Two sets of feet are fast approaching. I take deep, calming breaths. Butterflies swarm my stomach which is already doing summersaults.

The footsteps get closer and closer. Night has just fallen so there's not much other activity outside. Soon enough I can make out a pair of silhouettes a ways away. I stand up anxiously and Jake stands with me, not letting my hand go which I'm thankful for.

The backdoor opens and two figures walk in. Time seems to slow down in that moment. As I observe the frail-looking girl with wavy chestnut hair and the tall, lean boy with unruly copper locks, a dozen memories swirl through my head, some that I've seen before and some that are new. The girl observes me with careful, guarded butterscotch eyes as if I'm a rabid animal. The boy looks at me with uncontained joy and astonishment.

"Renesmee?" The girl's voice is like smooth, rich honey. She sounds dubious and even a little scared. I nod very slowly, taking her in with as much caution and care as she takes me in.

"It's her, love," the boy murmurs, a grin spreading across his face. The girl continues to scrutinize my every feature as if looking for the tiniest inconsistency with the child she knew.

"It really is me," I whisper, unable to get my voice much louder. After a moment's hesitation, I add, "mom."

After hardly a second more of studying me, suddenly her arms are around me. If any other vampire had done so I would've assumed they were trying to squeeze the life out of me or something. But even after all these years, I still recognize my mother's strong, protective hug.

Another set of arms wraps around both of us, these ones more muscular yet ironically less tight. They both hold on to me as if afraid if they let go I'll disappear in a puff of smoke.

"It's you," she repeats over and over again, tears in her choked voice. "It's really you." My father keeps repeating my name, his grip becoming gradually tighter.

"C'mon, give her some air," Jacob says lightly after what must've been at least ten minutes of that embrace. "Let's not kill the girl within your first hour of being reunited." Mom throws Jake a look that shows she clearly doesn't enjoy his joking but I throw him a covert grin which he winks to in response.

Mom does pull back though and holds me at arms length while her eyes study me again, this time with affection and admiration. "You're so beautiful," she says quietly and I blush a little.

"Thank you," I whisper, stuttering a little in the overwhelming excitement and happiness. After so long being away from them, it somehow still feels natural now.

My father studies me too, but his stare is more protective and worried. I get the feeling he's searching for any sort of wound or other sign that the Volturi mistreated me. I begin messing with my hair like I always do out of nervousness. Half a second after I begin twirling a lock of hair I realize that my wrist is exposed. The one with two bitemarks. I drop my arm quickly but by the dark look that flashes in my dad's eyes, I know he must've seen.

"Bella, love, give her some space. She's overwhelmed," he coaxes, gently prying the lovely brunette woman off me. Her fingers clench into fists at her side as she mechanically takes a few steps backwards, as if she is trying to force herself to not reach out for me again.

"We all have a lot of catching up to do," Jacob says after a moment of awkward silence. He comes up next to me and discreetly places one hand on the small of my back, which is comforting but I'm sure it doesn't escape my parent's notice. "So let's just all go sit down and talk for a while instead of standing here and freaking her out."

I want to butt in and tell him that while this whole scenario may be overwhelming, they're not freaking me out. They're reacting very nicely for just having been reunited with a long lost child that they thought was dead.

Dad says something in agreement while my mom just continues to stare at me and I actually can't stop myself from staring at her also. She's so beautiful. She's the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen.

I realize in that moment how much I've missed her without knowing that I've missed her all these years. Something in my heart has been crying out for her ever since the Volturi took me that day yet I never knew what that emptiness inside of me was. Now I know – it has been a longing for my family. My mother in particular. Old, stuffy Sulpicia never could come close to filling that void. Neither could Jane or Alec or any of the others. It's been my true family I've been searching for all along. I replay the memories I have of my mother in my head. She meant the world to me.

I'm suddenly overcome with emotion. I throw myself at her without registering what I'm doing until my arms are wrapped around her. She holds me tightly and I sob into her soft hair.

"Shh, baby, shh. It's okay, mommy's got you," she coos as if I'm a young child. I like her cooing and coddling, even if it's a bit degrading to my pride.

I continue to cry, sobbing my heart out for all the lost years, and she all but carries me over to the couch. She practically holds me in her lap as she rubs my back and pets my hair and murmurs soothing words. My eyes are so blurry with tears that I feel rather than see when my father comes and sits next to us. He wraps his strong arms around both of us once again and holds us like he'll never let go.

We stay that way long after my sobs quiet into pathetic whimpers and then stop altogether. None of us say anything, we just sit there and hold each other. I'm not sure if we were more grieving for the lost time or celebrating being reunited in that moment. Probably an equal amount of both.

This is the way things are meant to be. I belong with my parents, with my entire family. Hopefully it will stay this way for the rest of eternity.

**A/N: THE END! **

**Just kidding (;**


	17. Chapter 17

"It's so.. strange."

Jacob looks at me and nods. He seems confused and yet understanding at the same time. Confused at what I'm saying, yet understanding of why I'm being confusing. It's probably not the easiest thing to imagine what it must be like to be reunited with your long lost parents and figure out that the people you thought were your family are actually your enemies. The emotions I feel are so conflicting – love and anger, happiness and sorrow, relief and terror.

"But a good strange. I think," I add with a slight frown. Jake gives me a comforting smile. He has been silent a long while, just allowing me to talk and vent. I've told him about how much I adore my parents, who I've been spending a lot of time catching up with over the past few days, and yet how overwhelming it has been.

Which is why Jake and I are out here, in the middle of the forest not too far off from the house. If I think that being around my parents has been overwhelming I guess I'm in for quite a shock when I return to the house. The rest of my family is arriving today. My parents have avoided talking about them, as has Jacob. I feel a lot of tension and grief surrounding them every time I brought the rest of the Cullen clan up so I've avoided it. I guess I'll find out what's up with that today.

"I guess they'll be arriving soon, don't you think? Maybe we should get back," I nervously bite my nails, a habit I thought I'd kicked a while ago. Apparently not. Jacob walks over from where he was leaning against the trunk of a large tree.

"Renesmee," he says softly, grabbing my arm to stop my anxious pacing. Hearing my real name come from his lips and understanding that it's what he should be calling me is really nice. I think I'd feel sick if he called me Juliet like I used to feel sick when he called me Renesmee. He takes both my hands in his. His large, dark eyes bore into mine, instantly soothing me.

"Calm down, okay? It's going to be all right," he promises. I smile gratefully at him and lean up on my tip-toe and plant a kiss on his soft lips. Another thing that's been hard about spending so much time around my parents is having to refrain from anything more than holding Jake's hand. Sometimes when I look over at him and see that devilish twinkle in his chocolate eyes and that unruly lock of black hair falling into his forehead and he has a small, flirty smile on his lips, I just want to grab him and run away with him to his house in La Push and spend the night making out on his couch.

"I've missed you." I whisper against his lips as I inhale is woodsy scent. He kisses me again with more passion. I bite his bottom lip playfully and he growls in response, pressing me up against a tree. I kiss down his neck, suckling lightly on a sensitive spot. He moans softly and his fingers knot into my hair.

"Renesmee?" Jake and I both jerk apart at the sound of the far off call. It's my father, who has impeccable timing. Jake's fingers were just beginning to tease the hem of my shirt.

"I guess we have to go back," Jacob says with a small huff, looking discouraged.

"We'll find privacy again soon, I promise," I lean up and peck his cheek and then take off in the direction of the house with Jake following close behind. He could easily run right next to me but I get the feeling that he's staying a few feet back to survey our surroundings and protect me. The Volturi have definitely been informed of me realizing my true identity by now and I think we all know it's only a matter of time before they come for me although none of us have spoken a word about it.

I take a deep, preparatory breath and then step in through the sliding glass door in the back. Walking into the living room, I'm met with eight pairs of eyes ranging in shade from topaz to onyx.

There's a long pause where no one says anything. My eyes roam the faces starting with a man with golden blonde hair who I recognize to be Carlisle, my grandpa and the one who took all sorts of measurements of me when I was a child. He's holding hands tightly with a short lady who has long, caramel-colored waves and gentle eyes – Esme, my grandmother who loved to cook me things.

My eyes travel over to a petite, pixie-like girl with hair as black as Jake's and inquisitive eyes that stare at me as if I'm some sort of jigsaw puzzle. It's Alice, my quirky aunt with a love of all things fashion. She's sitting close to a blonde man who is staring at me with the same curiosity. He has crescent shaped scars overlapping up his neck and jaw. He's fierce and intimidating and he's my uncle, Jasper. I remember the intriguiging stories he would tell me.

Sitting a cushion down from them is a large, burly guy who has curly dark hair and dimples that contrast from his excessively muscular body. Uncle Emmett gives me a boyish grin as I look at him. His arm is around an exquisite, statuesque blonde. But she isn't the fierce honey-blonde woman I was anticipating. She's a slimmer, more placid strawberry-blonde. This is not my Aunt Rose, who I had so adored, but I do recognize her – Tanya Denali.

My eyes flash over to the remaining two sets of eyes. My parents are standing together in each others arms.

"Where's Aunt Rose?" Those are the first words out of my mouth which break the silence this gathering had hung in. A feeling of dread is rising in my stomach and it's a struggle just to be able to swallow. My parents share pained looks. I glance over at Tanya and see she looks not only uncomfortable but also guilty and sorrowful, as does Uncle Em. The rest of the family looks much aggrieved. I see Jake wince from the corner of my eye.

"She.. She isn't.." I stutter, my voice quavering. "She can't be…"

"She would have done anything to protect you, angel," Mom says quietly with a small, sad smile.

My legs suddenly feel like nothing more than jelly. I begin to back out of the room until I feel Jake's arms around me. "You can do this, Nes," he whispers in my ear encouragingly.

"She died because of me," I murmur as I stare blankly out the window into the gray, endless sky.

"She died for love. There's no better reason. She wouldn't want you to beat yourself up over it." Jake assures me, easing the guilt ever so slightly.

My eyes slowly roam over all the faces once again, lingering on Emmett. He's looking at me with a heartbroken expression that is so different than the juvenile, carefree demeanor I recall from when I was a child.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper, my eyes not leaving his for a second.

"It's okay, Squirt," he says back in a louder tone that is still relatively quiet for him.

"And thank you, Tanya," I tell her just as softly, my eyes moving over to the glamorous blonde. I'm not entirely sure what I'm thanking her for in this moment, although there is a pretty decent list of things it could be – thank you for standing by my family, thank you for putting your life on the line for me, thank you for jeopardizing your coven's safety for me, thank you for mending the heart of a man that I care for strongly whose loss is my fault.

I take a few shaky steps forward, closing the space between me and Emmett. He stands up and in the next moment his arms are around me, just in time as my legs give out just then and he ends up supporting all my weight. I bury my face in his muscular chest which muffles the sound of my sobs. I feel a set of slender arms wrap around me also and know they must be Tanya.

"Come on, everybody, bring it in," Emmett says in a tone that is much more light-hearted, adding a sense of homecoming and warmth. Soon many more sets of icy, pale arms are around the three of us. "I've missed the good old-fashioned Cullen family group hugs," Emmett adds as everyone grips each other for the first time in what I imagine has been quite a long time. Based on the stories, my family has been fragmented for years now.

"Emmett, we never had group hugs before," Alice's tinkling soprano voice points out from somewhere in the mesh of vampires. Being stuffed into the middle, I can't quite pick out where she's located.

"Shh. Don't ruin the moment." Emmett whispers and all of us laugh at the exact same moment. It sounds like the most beautiful melody ever orchestrated.

Soft sighs of contentment come from several lips and then slowly, couple by couple, people begin to pull away until we're all standing closely together in the middle of the living room. My legs are functioning again for the most part and I rapidly wipe the tears from my eyes which are probably red and puffy by now. Alice has her arm linked through my mother's, who has her other arm wrapped around me while I hold out my hand to Tanya for her to take and join in on the family love. Emmett grabs both my father and Jasper in chokeholds at the same time and Esme goes to greet Jacob. I'll have to thank her later for including him in this moment.

Carlisle surveys the joyful, rowdy bunch of us and an elated smile appears on his lips. "Welcome home, everyone."

**A/N: Sorry for the late update, I experienced major writer's block while writing this one. It was very difficult for me to imagine what this must be like not only for Renesmee but for all the other Cullens. To make up for it, I'll let you in on what the next chapter will be about: fluff! Some Cullen-style fun and Jake/Nessie romance. Figure we could all use a break after this sad chapter.. I know losing Rose is sad, but it would be unrealistic for no deaths of any main characters to have occured. Rose was willing to do anything for Renesmee. If you're feeling upset over it, just go reread Jake's words to Nessie about it. :3 Also, sorry for confusing you guys at the end of the last chapter. It wasn't the end (obviously) I was just teasing you guys! Sorry!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I would like everyone to know that the rating of this story has gone up to T. Thank you to PrimaDonna24601 for pointing out that the rating for this story was too low. I hadn't anticipated using such language in it but the characters in my head used it and who am I to argue with them? Thank you so much for pointing it out to me. I owe you one, if you ever need anything just let me know. So just to reiterate, THIS STORY IS NOW RATED TEEN. If that's okay with you, you may now commence with the reading. **

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I ask Jasper and Emmett warily.

Emmett scoffs as if it's the most absurd question he's ever heard. "Of _course_ it is, Nes. Why wouldn't it be? It'll be hysterical!"

I throw him an incredulous look. "Oh, gee, I don't know, Em, I wonder who on earth would really question the safety of startling a sleepy, irritable werewolf that's several times larger than them."

Jasper gives me a small nudge forwards in the direction of where Jacob lays basking in the sun across the lawn. He's been asleep for about half an hour after patrolling the border of the Cullen property all night. He looks so peaceful, lying out there in his wolf form without a care in the world.

"He'll laugh about it with us," Jasper encourages. One more look at Jacob's adorable, sleeping form and I just can't do it.

"I'm out," I tell them. "He's too cute to mess with." I leave them there with their water hose, rope, and dog whistles and head back inside hoping they'll follow in my lead and leave the poor kid alone. Fat chance.

A few minutes later, just as I begin eating the grilled cheese sandwich Esme made me, I hear the sound of water splashing, a yelp, a crash, high pitched whistling, barking, growling, and more crashes. I laugh despite feeling bad for Jake but don't give Jasper and Emmett the satisfaction of looking out the window and appraising their work.

A few minutes later, Jacob stalks in wearing a pair of damp cargo shorts. His hair has water droplets clinging to it and an angry scowl in on his face. Definitely glad I took no part in that prank.

"Esme made you something to eat," I tell him in a meek voice, a little afraid of that angry look and the tremors rolling through his body. I know he hasn't slept much in the past few days that my family has been back in Forks and a sleep-deprived Jacob is not a happy Jacob.

Jacob wordlessly grabs the two sandwiches Esme made for him and eats them both while standing and staring blankly out the back window. We finish at about the same time and he continues to stand there like some sort of zombie. I walk slowly over to him and wrap my arms around his waist.

"Are you okay, Jakey?" I ask softly, holding him tightly. His eyes drift over to my face and his rigid posture melts away.

"I'm sorry." He says, tucking my hair behind my ear and leaning down to kiss me.

"Don't be. Let's go upstairs; you need to sleep." I take his hand in mine and tug him towards the kitchen door and then lead him up the stairs into the room I've been staying in. He all but collapses onto my bed and I crawl over behind him, wrapping my arm around his waist again and trailing kisses down his tense back. His hand strokes my arm tenderly.

"Thanks, Nessie," he murmurs sleepily before nodding off. Just before I drift into unconsciousness I hear Jasper and Emmett snickering downstairs like hyenas.

What feels like only a few minutes later, Jake is gently shaking me and whispering in my ear, "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty." With a disgruntled groan, my eyes flutter open and I slowly sit up. My throat feels dry and burning. "We're all going out. Alice's idea. She didn't say where, though, but she did leave some clothes in your closet for you." Jake rambles on, oblivious to my confusion and discomfort. I clutch my throat in a futile attempt to stop the pain. I'm not used to becoming thirsty so soon and so abruptly; I guess that's an animal-drinking side effect.

As Jake begins to say something more, I quickly put one hand up to his cheek. I show him the forest and animals and the image of the two bloody carcasses Jake and I had used to compete with almost a week ago and convey the feeling of my thirst. I pull my hand away wordlessly, knowing that it will only hurt more to speak and my feeling like my voice would sound odd and raspy although realistically I know it would sound normal.

"Oh, Nes, I'm sorry, I didn't realize," he says as he jumps up from the bed. I give him a look that clearly says what I want to tell him: _Don't be sorry, how could you have realized that?_

"Come on, let's go. We should probably hurry; Alice sort of scares me." Jake admits bashfully and I snort. She's half the size of him and yet I don't blame him for being intimidated by her. She can be aggressive when it comes to getting her way on certain things. A family outing would definitely be one of those aggressive times.

Jake heads for the door but I have a better idea. I open up the large, floor-to-ceiling window in the room and leap out. We're only on the second story and I slide easily down the sloping roof on the heels of my feet and then land on the ground with nothing more than a soft thud. I hear Jacob mutter, "Show off," under his breath and take the stairs down to the back door. I head off into the forest and Jacob catches up only a minute later. He's in human form, so he obviously doesn't plan on doing any hunting of his own.

I take down an elk and a deer, draining each dry. Only when I've let the deer drop to the ground next to the elk do I realize by the sound of an accelerated heartbeat and shallow, rapid breathing and a woodsy scent that Jacob is watching me.

I do a one-eighty and find Jacob leaning against a tree only about ten or fifteen yards away. His eyes are large. I wipe my lips with the back of my hand self-consciously. "What?" I demand in a defensive tone, feeling like some sort of parasite under his intense scrutiny. I guess that really is what I am.

"You're just so…"

"Blood-thirsty? Heartless? Disgusting?" I supply, knowing full well that Jacob would never say any of those things about me yet feeling like he is thinking them nonetheless.

Jacob surprises me, as he usually does. "Striking." That was probably the last word I expected to come out of his mouth at that moment as I stand with two animal carcasses beneath me and blood spattered across my shirt.

"S-striking?" I stumble over the word, sure I must have heard him wrong. He takes a few unsteady steps forward, almost like he's in a trance.

"You're fierce, yet beautiful. I've never been so captivated by anyone in my life." He slowly trails his fingertips down my profile, sending shivers of delight down my spine and a pink flush to my cheeks.

I look up at him from beneath my lashes, my heart pumping faster than normal and my hands shaking. He's everything I could ever want and more. "Don't ever leave me, Jacob," I whisper, leaning into his hand that is resting against my cheek and closing my eyes. I feel his lips on mine a moment later and my lips respond automatically with a burning passion that I doubt will ever be fully quenched.

"Never." He vows solemnly, pulling me to him and hugging me tightly. We stay there for a few minutes, neither of us saying anything. He is the first to pull away. "Alice threatened to get me a muzzle and leash if I did anything to screw up her plans for tonight and I think she was serious.."

I laugh at his scared and bashful expression. "I would kind of like to see that play out, but for the sake of your male pride I guess we should go home."

"My male pride thanks you," he chuckles, allowing me to start running first and trailing behind me as usual. As soon as we arrive back, Alice whisks me away up to my room and half an hour later I come down looking like I'm heading to a photo shoot. My hair is twisted into an elegant up 'do on the back of my head with a few pieces framing my face. I'm wearing a modest dress from Bendels with a high neckline to appease my father yet with curve hugging fabric and a somewhat short hem to appease Alice, who says that "a lady ought to show off what she's been given". The back is low and the dress has a summery feel with mint-green, pastel-pink, and ivory colorblocking.

Alice gets Jacob to wear an outfit she had bought a while ago that was too big for Jasper yet too small for Emmett. A pair of khakis and a baby-blue button down make Jacob look older and, in a way, hotter. Although I think a ratty pair of shorts and no shirt will always be my favorite look on him.

"Alice, where are we even going?" I ask as we split in to two cars. I'm stuck in Esme's Suburban with my parents, Jake, Alice, and Jasper.

"The best kind of prize is a _sur_prise!" she trills merrily and Jasper smiles adoringly at her while I roll my eyes.

"Ha, ha. Dad?" I look expectantly over at my father.

"She's been blocking me all day. I haven't a clue."

I huff impatiently and lean into Jake's side who wraps his arm around me and kisses the top of my head. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure it'll be fun."

After a long drive, Alice finally exits the highway in an unfamiliar town and then makes a sharp right. As soon as she does, I find myself staring at a giant, looming Ferris wheel.

"You have got to be kidding me." I mutter. "You put me in a $4,500 dress to come to a _carnival_?" I ask as we all pile out of the car.

Alice gives me a blank look. "Did you want to come naked? That's a decently priced, casual dress. I don't know what else you could ask for."

I roll my eyes and let it go. Mom pats my hair and gives me a look that says, _Get used to it_. I'm used to wearing high-end clothing, Jane has expensive taste of course, but I'm not used to getting dressed in this kind of dress for a greasy, sweaty, dirty carnival. Actually, I'm not used to getting dressed for greasy, sweaty, dirty carnivals at all. I've never been to one.

We get in and buy the all-access wrist bands. "I call dibs on Renesmee!" Emmett booms, grabbing me before I have time to register what he said. He literally carries me as he runs through the crowds of people, thankfully at a human pace. He cuts in front of a long line of humans at the first roller coaster he spots, none of whom have enough courage to tell him to get to the back of the line. We are being hurried into one of the carts on the roller coasters just seconds after arriving, whereas I'm sure many of those people have been waiting half an hour. Sometimes having an Emmett Cullen in your life comes in very handy.

"I've never ridden one of these things," I tell Emmett nervously as a man comes by to make sure we're all fastened in by the metal rod.

"You've never ridden a roller coaster?" Emmett says so loudly I'm sure everyone in the whole carnival heard. "That's just not right! We'll have to make this worth remembering!" He gets a mischievous glint in his ocher eyes.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" I ask as the ride begins to inch up the first incline.

"Hang on tight!" he bellows and with a slight push gets the metal bar, the only thing keeping us contained inside this cart, to unhinge.

"_WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU PSYCHO_?" I scream as the coaster plunges downward and I grip Emmett's arm and the side of the cart for dear life.

"Whoo! This is living!" Emmett hollers into the night with a crazed laugh. Emmett high on having fun is terrifying.

"You are insane! You are an idiot! You're trying to kill me! We're going to die!" I scream throughout the entire ride like some sort of mantra. All he does is laugh.

Finally, the coaster stops and we cruise back in to the starting point. A pre-recorded voice says to remain seated until the ride operator comes by and lets us out but Emmett ignores that and leaps out, dragging me with him. He proceeds to inform the ride operator of a broken restraint in our cart and then walks away with me still in tow.

"Wasn't that great?" he asks, looking more like a little boy than ever. Now that I think back on it, it was kind of fun. The wind in my hair, the rush in my stomach, the adrenaline pumping. I shouldn't have been so afraid – after all, even if I did go flying out of that cart it most likely wouldn't have done too much damage. And even though Emmett is crazy and irresponsible, I know that he would never actually let me get hurt. He would've jumped out after me and used his body as a vampire shield if that's what it took. And then probably laughed about how epic it was later.

"A little. But don't let it happen again. Or I'll sic – my dad on you." I stumble a little in the middle of the sentence. I had almost told him I'd sic Aunt Rose on him. I'm so glad I caught myself, and that Emmett doesn't seem to have noticed anything. My heart clenches as I think about Aunt Rose again. The guilt has been eating away at me.

Emmett scoffs. "Like I'm afraid of little Eddy-kins."

With his usual perfect timing, Dad walks up behind the oblivious Emmett just then and delivers a hard blow into his side with his elbow. Emmett lets out a loud _oof_ and Dad smirks wickedly.

"Oh, you'll pay for that one," Emmett threatens, making a lunge for Dad which he easily evades. Dad darts off and Emmett follows, disappearing into the crowds. My father looks more like a reckless teenage boy than a century-old vampire dad than ever.

Mom takes me to go look at the booths set up where people are selling vintage and handmade jewelry, paintings, sculptures, and other funky art. We end up buying a new painting for my room, which is still pretty bare.

"That looks lovely," Mom comments on the handmade amythest bracelet I'm admiring.

"I think Alice would murder me if I wore any sort of non-precious stone." I joke lightly, running one finger over the purple stones. They're beautiful even if they're not expensive. The weird things is, I would never have considered wearing a handmade amythest bracelet in my Volturi days. Ever since I met Jacob that day in the cafe, I've been changing. Him bringing me into his small-town life with his tiny little house overlooking the ocean and group of normal friends (well, except for the fact that they can shift into oversized animals) and showing me that you don't need to throw money around to have a good time has brought me down to earth. And then this family lifestyle that I'm living now is the finishing touch. I'm more like my kind, sweet mother than narcissistic, spoiled-rotten Jane now, which is something I couldn't have said not too long ago.

"There comes a time in every Cullen's life when they have to realize that Alice will never be satisfied with any outfit unless it is entirely picked out by her hand." Mom smiles at me and hands the lady behind the counter exact change for the bracelet.

I smile back. "Thanks, Mom." I hug her gently. She kisses my cheek.

"Any time, darling."

Tanya, Alice and I ride the Tilt-a-Whirl together, Dad wins me a giant stuffed dog in a dart-throwing game, and Jasper beats me at a target-shooting game with fake rifles. Emmett buys every fried food he can find (which is a lot) and forces me and Jake to taste test them for him, giving a full detailed report on the flavor of each which he seems to make note of for some odd reason. The night ends with Jake and I riding the Ferris wheel that had loomed over me when we first arrived.

"Was this night overwhelming?" he asks as we slowly rise, his arm slung over my shoulder as I nestle into his side.

"Not really," I shrug. "It feels really natural being with them. I mean, I have my moments where something inside me panics and says this is all wrong and I don't know these people well enough to be joking with them or hugging them or whatever, but it passes. I'm happy to be spending time with them."

Jake kisses my hair. "I'm happy that you're happy."

A thought suddenly occurs to me. "Is this overwhelming for you?"

Jake seems caught off guard by this question. "Not at all," he says after a moment. "I've missed the Cullens. Wow, never thought I'd hear myself say that. But it's been nice catching up with Bella, and even Edward. Alice drives me nuts and Emmett and Jasper are like the annoying, immature cousins I never wanted, but Carlisle and Esme are almost sort of like second parents. Besides, even if I hated them all like I used to, it'd be beyond worth it to be around you."

I think that over for a second, unable to hide my delighted smile. I lean up and kiss him, pressing him as close to me as possible. He lifts me up as if I weigh no more than a feather and places me on his lap. I straddle him, the position a lot more intimate than what I'm used to with him and yet it feels so right. I run my fingers through his soft hair and down his chest. His mouth tastes like soda and funnel cake.

He nibbles lightly on my ear lobe and whispers in my ear, "Absolutely striking."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I'm sure you all have noticed I've been MIA for a while now. Sorry, school has been killer. And I haven't really been sure where I want this story to go. I think I have an idea now and I have some more written which will be up soon but be sure to review and tell me if there's anything in particular you want from this story before it ends! Sorry again!**

My fingers tap nervously against the window sill in my bedroom. I don't remember the last time I was this anxious, other than when I met my real family again. It's hard to believe it's already been five months since that day.

The past five months have been the most wonderful times of my life. The worry of the Volturi seeking revenge and either killing me or kidnapping me for the second time has been a constant thought in the back of my mind, but even that looming shadow has never been able to outdo the radiating bliss that my family and Jacob have brought me.

I've moved back into my bedroom in my parent's small house that was built for them before the Volturi came for me, with some modifications to the room of course. My mother, the most incredible woman I've ever met, has taken me to bookstores and to visit the grave of her father, Charlie, whom I remember very vaguely. My father, who I've learned is very much like me in looks and mannerisms, plays piano and chess with me and takes me exploring through the wilderness surrounding us. My parents took me to their meadow, a special and indescribably beautiful place where I could feel the magic of their love. I had been told their romantic story when I was a child, but rehearing it now in a less childish way was fascinating, although the Jacob parts were more than slightly awkward.

The rest of my family has been making up for lost time with me as well. Mani-pedis with Tanya, shopping with Alice, cooking and tending to Esme's garden with her, listening to Jasper's war stories, video games with Emmett, learning the stories behind Carlisle's countless paintings. I've had poker nights with Tanya, Jake, Emmett, and Jasper (Alice is never allowed to play and Dad only can if Mom promises to block him from everyone's thoughts), "sleepovers" with Alice and Tanya that consist of bad karaoke and them trying (and normally succeeding) to get me to gush about Jacob, and trips to see friends such as the newlyweds Kate and Garret, Zafrina, and Maggie. I have treasured every second of this perfect life that has been given back to me.

Although my time with my family has been beyond fun, when it comes to enchantment, nothing can outdo my times with Jacob. He is everything to me by this point. Even imagining a life without him is physically painful. That is probably why I blocked all my memories when I was a child – remembering my perfect family and my perfect Jacob and my perfect life which I had lost was just too much for me to bear.

I have gone to multiple bonfires with the pack, this time actually realizing who I was there with and that half these people have the capability of turning into giant dogs. We've gone on double dates to the movies with Claire and Quil and had lunch with Sam and Emily. Jake and I love hanging out at the La Push beach and I love watching him work on motorcycles and car engines in his shop. He's been teaching me to ride a motorcycle, much to the disdain of my parents. We cook together all the time in his tiny little kitchen and have movie marathons every Saturday night. He has taken me up to the tide pools and taken me to his mother's and father's graves. Holding him in my arms as he cried on that drizzly Sunday afternoon was one of the most beautiful experiences I've ever had with anyone.

My parents have been a little strict when it comes to my time with Jake. A firm curfew is in order: midnight sharp. It gets annoying but the Volturi never gave me a curfew so it's kind of nice to have parents who care so much now. Even though I am pretty much an adult. Jacob stayed at the Cullen house in a guest room for my first few weeks there but after I moved in with my parents in their little cottage, he returned to his home in La Push. Now him spending the night is not even in the question although my parents can hear every move I make in my room so it's not like anything would happen that they didn't approve of, and me spending the night at Jacob's house is strictly forbidden. Sometimes all these rules make me feel a little confined, but I know my parents are just trying to make up for lost time with me. They never got to do the whole strict on your daughter's boyfriend routine and although Jake and I are both adults now, they still want their chance at it.

Which brings me to why I am so anxious right now. My mother and father are going to a concert in Oregon tonight, Esme accompanied Carlisle to a medical seminar in Boston, Tanya and Emmett have been vacationing in the Galapagos islands for the past few weeks, and Alice and Jasper are visiting with his friends Peter and Charlotte in Colorado this weekend. All of these things just happened to fall on the same night, much to my parent's dismay.

"Maybe we just shouldn't go," my father tells my mother as I listen in from my room with my fingers crossed hopefully.

"Edward, we have to trust her. I know it's hard, but she's not the little girl we lost years ago. She's a young woman now and we have to treat her like one. It's one night alone, it will be fine." My mother assures him.

"It's not her that I don't trust," Dad grumbles under his breath. I roll my eyes. Jacob has hardly been able to touch me since my parents have been around.

"Jake loves her too much to try anything that she doesn't feel comfortable with, you know that." Mom has always stood up for Jake with my father while giving him stern reminders of their paws-off policy behind closed doors. Doors don't do much when you've got highly sensitive ears though.

A few minutes later, my parents come upstairs to talk with me. We are at the main house right now considering that is where my parents want me to stay because it has the most security. They go through the drill: no alcohol, stay home, Jake can't spend the night, etc. Then they say their goodbyes and they're gone. And I have this entire house to myself.

I take a shower, my mind whirling. A night alone with Jacob. I've had nights alone with him before but not since my parents returned which means not since our relationship has become so serious. My parents said no spending the night but they won't be home until tomorrow evening so there's no way for them to know how long he stays. As long as he can keep his mind quiet about it.

I rummage through some of the lingerie Alice got for me secretively last time we went shopping. I pick the sexiest yet most flattering one, a black lace bra and matching thong with blood-red accents. I put on a pair of jean shorts and a simple, long-sleeved, low cut cotton scoop neck shirt. I keep my makeup minimal and sultry and tousle my curls in a way that Jacob has told me before that he loves. Just as I'm spritzing on perfume, I hear the rumble of his motorcycle coming down the drive.

I flit downstairs and straighten out my clothes and gnaw on my lip, a horrible habit that I've noticed my mother also has. I lay myself down on the couch in what I hope is a casually seductive pose and pretend to be watching the idiotic movie that someone left the TV turned on to.

Jake walks in and I look up and smile at him. His hair is windblown from riding the bike and he is wearing a plain black shirt and khaki cargo shorts. He looks so sexy effortlessly while it takes me an hour and a half of careful planning and work to achieve the look. Fortunately, though, it seems to have worked considering he stops and stares at me blankly for a long moment.

"Hi," I say softly, standing and going to hug him. I wrap my arms around his broad shoulders and he grips me tightly around my waist, lifting my feet a few inches off the ground as he buries his head in my hair.

"Why does it feel like I haven't seen you in a lifetime even though it was just yesterday?" he asks with a wry grin as he sets me back down.

"I know the feeling," I smile back, bashfully tucking a lock of curls behind my ear. He trails his finger over my cheek, feeling the warmth of my blush.

"If Edward and Bells find out I stayed here, they'll make a fur rug out of me," he jokes as I lead him to the couch by his hand. He sits down and I curl up on his lap.

"_If_ they find out," I emphasize. "I can keep a secret." I smile coyly and play with the hair on the nape of his neck.

"Well having a mind reader in the picture sorta complicates things. Edward always says I have an obnoxiously loud mind." Jake grins.

"Just don't worry about that right now. I've missed you. We've hardly had any alone time in the last five months. Don't you miss this?" I ask as I move my legs to straddle him and gently press my lips against his. He smiles against my lips and responds eagerly. I lick his bottom lip, asking for entrance which is happily granted. Our tongues become entangled lustily. The kiss becomes hotter and my hands grip the back of his neck, pushing him as close to possible to me. My hips thrust against him involuntarily, my entire body responding to the passion.

A low, animalistic growl comes from deep in his chest and suddenly I'm against the far wall with one of his hands pinning my arms above my head and the other gripping my hip firmly. His lips kiss down my neck, a very sensitive area of mine which he knows good and well. He sucks lightly on the place he has found to be the most sensitive spot and I moan in response. His teeth graze against my skin, resulting in a sharp inhale from me. I'm used to being the biter, not the bitee.

I push him back just enough for me to grab the bottom of his black t-shirt and pull it off over his head. As soon as it's gone, his lips return to mine with an insatiable hunger. My hands roam unashamedly over the planes of his muscular torso, from his perfectly sculpted abs to his strong shoulders. I pepper the bare skin of his shoulder with kisses.

"Renesmee," he breathes, "we're getting to a point of no return. I won't be able to stop myself. Are you sure about this?" he asks, his eyes boring into mine.

I nod slowly. "I've never been more sure of anything or anyone." I promise in my bravest voice. He smiles at me, and then scoops into his arms bridal style and in the next second we're rushing up the stairs and into my bedroom. The door slams closed behind us.


	20. Chapter 20

My eyes flutter open to sunlight streaming in through my window. I sit up slowly in bed, for a moment feeling like the past year has been a dream and Jane is going to walk in any second and tell me the humans are here and it's time to eat. After a few seconds, though, the reality sinks in and I sigh contentedly and get out of bed, pulling my blinds back to look at the gray morning sky.

Staring out the window, I recall that I'm going to need to start getting ready soon; today is my going-away party. Well, I guess I should say _our_ going-away party, mine and Jacob's. But really, we're all going away. We're moving to the northeast so that Jake and I can go to the college we've both been accepted into. Jacob is incredibly intelligent, but considering he hardly got his GED, I'm assuming Carlisle had to pull a few strings to get him in. My family is also covering his college expenses although he swears he'll pay them back once he gets a degree in engineering.

Jake and I will be getting our own apartment together near the college but my family is moving less than fifteen minutes away. And my parents have mandated that I spend all weekends and holidays at home and spend at least one weekend exclusively with them every month. The rules are overbearing, but I try to keep in mind that they only want what's best for me.

I listen throughout the house and hear nothing. They must have already gone to help Alice set up for the party. I brush my teeth and brush out my hair and change into a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top before opening the door in my room which leads to the patio and taking off. A pre-party hunt sounds nice.

I run through the forest as the dark clouds rumble overhead. Rain is definitely on its way. I take down an elk and a deer before feeling, for the most part, quenched. The smell of the wet leaves and the peace and the calm forest is just so tempting though. I run a little further until I happen across a small, oval meadow with long, dry, yellow grass.

I sit down in the middle of it and stare up at the sky, watching the clouds roll on. I feel a raindrop hit my face just seconds before it begins to pour. My brain vaguely registers that I should get home instead of just sitting here and allowing myself to become soaked to the bone, but something forces me to stay.

After a little while more of sitting there, I am sure that I am not alone. I can feel a pair of eyes on the back of my head. The slight rush in my stomach and the weakness of my limbs alerts me immediately to who it is.

"Hello, Alec," I murmur softly, much more unafraid than I thought I would be if I ever met Alec again.

After a second more of silence, I hear his footsteps coming out of the forest into the clearing. "It's been a while, Renesmee," he says in his darkly seductive voice. This is the first time I've ever heard him use my real name. Chills rush up my spine.

"Are you here to kill me?" I ask, incredibly calm for contemplating my own death. I have not turned to look at him once.

He comes and sits next to me. I shut my eyes, not wanting to see him. I don't want to be reminded of the boy who I'd spent years loving. I don't want to see that devilish smirk or those cunning crimson eyes. I just want to hold on to my feelings of hatred for him.

"Of course not." His voice is soft and sweet and musical.

"Are you here to kidnap me again?"

"If you were to ask Aro that question, then the answer would be yes. But as long as you're just asking me, the answer is no."

I sigh and smile a little. "You've always had a thing for speaking in riddles."

"Do riddles turn you on?" he teases coyly, his icy finger trailing up my bare arm.

"I have a boyfriend, Alec. A very serious boyfriend."

"I know. I've been watching you for months. Aro's orders, of course. Not that I wasn't curious myself. But, to be conventional, how is family life treating you? I've noticed the curfew. I'm not quite sure who you are at this point, but the girl I knew would stay out all night partying and drinking and messing around with guys. You stay jailed up in that tiny house, in this tiny town for that matter. My girl would be on jets every weekend to somewhere new."

My jaw clenches. "The curfew is for my own good, something the Volturi never seemed to care about. I don't party or drink or mess around anymore because I don't need to. I'm happy, for once. I'm not jailed here. I could leave whenever I want. I like being here, I like spending time with my family and with Jacob."

Alec chuckles darkly. "You really think you could just up and leave? You don't realize how far in you've sunk. They have you right where they want you. You'll always be mommy and daddy's little girl – a perpetual child with curfews and chores and rules and time out. The sooner you wake up and see that the sooner you can work on getting out of that nightmare. Tell me about this Jacob guy, I'd love to hear it. Is he just everything you could ever want and more? Does he listen to you rant about the lines at the mall and pick you up something special every time he goes to the grocery store and take you out on date nights to the diner and then the movies? Sounds like an exciting relationship."

I blush a little, knowing Alec is making fun of my relationship with Jacob and knowing that he has been watching us and has seen all of that stuff happen. "I don't want excitement. I want stability and love."

Alec laughs again. "You're joking right? Look, Renesmee, you can try to pretend like I never knew you but you know that I did. I knew you better than anyone. A girl like you doesn't just want stability and love. You, the girl who did god-knows-what with half the guys on the guard during games of truth or dare and spin the bottle and seven minutes in Heaven, who came up with your own ways of playing with your victims before feeding on them, who felt naked leaving the house if you weren't wearing at least one precious jewel, you do not just want stability and love. You want excitement and danger and unpredictability and passion and power."

I can feel Alec's cool breath tickling my ear. My heart rate spikes. "So what you're trying to say is that I want you." I try my best to sound exasperated but it somehow comes out meek and breathless.

Alec's lips move lightly against my shoulder. "Look me in the eyes and tell me that isn't true," he challenges. I stand abruptly and put several tens of feet between us.

"I don't have to prove anything to you, Alec. Just do what you came here to do or leave me alone." I sigh, folding my arms across my stomach in a desperate attempt to stop the nauseating whirling it's doing.

Alec is right behind me within a second, his arms gently encompassing my waist and laying over my arms. "I came here to try to get you to come home. I came to make you realize you're not ever going to be satisfied with playing house in small towns with some erratic, do-good family. You'll never be satisfied drinking from animals, going to school like a human, and you will never be satisfied with Jacob Black." His voice is a low growl in my ear as he slowly presses me closer and closer to him.

Suddenly, I am flipped around in Alec's arms and my lips are pressed against his. He kisses me passionately and hungrily. But even more so than the last time we kissed, it feels entirely wrong. Alec can try to convince me that this is not the life for me all he wants, but living with my family and my Jacob is the only life I could ever be happy in. Maybe a year and a half ago living in Volterra covered in expensive jewels like a princess and being Alec's girlfriend and traveling the world with Jane and playing with humans before dining upon them would be my dream life, but dreams change. Alec is not who I want anymore, and he never will be again.

I wrench myself from his grasp, stumbling backwards from the force it took and falling down in the muddy grass as the rain continues to pour down relentlessly. A crack of lightning strikes in the distance, shining an eerie light over Alec's angry face.

"You're making things very difficult for me Renesmee," he growls. This growling voice is much different than the one he used before. His voice has gone from a seductive growl to a menacing one.

"If I am going to be returning to Volterra, it will be as your prisoner, not as your lover." I vow, glaring up at him.

"I really don't want to have to do that. If you can just realize the possibilities that lie waiting for you with the Volturi, I won't have to."

I stare at him evenly, refusing to so much as blink. He finally sighs in exasperation. "Fine, but remember that you made me do this."

Alec lunges at me with the lethality of a cobra. I instinctively roll out of the line of fire, almost as if this is a wrestling match with Emmett or Jasper. Alec is dazed when he looks down and sees himself covered in mud and me not in his arms, as if the last thing he ever expected was for me to be able to evade a single one of his moves. Honestly I'm pretty surprised myself. But not surprised enough to sit there like an idiot staring at myself like him. I am up and running before he has time to register that I am gone.

At first my mind tells me to run to La Push but then I remember that the Volturi don't have some treaty with the wolves that would stop him from entering their lands. And bringing the most menacing power on the Volturi to the pack would only end in young, naive wolves getting killed.

I begin to head for the main house but then I remember Aunt Rose and Leah. What if someone dies for me again? I'm sure Alec isn't the only one here, others were probably waiting in the trees.

I continue to run in the general direction of the main house but not heading straight for it. I can hear Alec pursuing me a ways back and even farther I can hear the sound of several more footsteps. I'd say there's about four of them. My family could take them, and I'm sure some of the pack is at my house for the party, but what if-

My thinking is cut short as I am suddenly stopped by an icy hand reaching out and grabbing my arm. My heart nearly goes into overdrive until I look over to see a familiar pair of topaz eyes staring in confusion at me.

"Renesmee, what are you doing?" Mom asks with a tone of worry.

"Mom, you need to put your shield up around everyone right now and _run_." I tell her with urgency. I feel the warm bubble of her shield go around my mind instantly.

"Run?" she questions until she registers the sound of footsteps in pursuit. Her doe-eyes widen. "Is it them?" she whispers, looking terrified.

I nod. "I can't let anyone else die for me, Mom. I just can't." I tell her as I unhook her fingers from around my wrist. Her eyes harden.

"Hell if you can't!" she cries, more riled than I've ever seen her. Suddenly, I'm in my mother's granite arms like a child as she runs towards the main house.

"Mom, please. They won't stop until they get me. You have to let me face them alone, maybe I can reason with them." I argue as I try to wiggle free of her grasp. I know there's no chance of reasoning but I also know that another death on my conscience will more than likely cause me a mental breakdown.

"We'll make them stop."

I've never seen my mom look so much like a warrior.

She all but crashes through the main doors and sets me down on wobbly legs. A dozen pairs of eyes fall upon us. I am drenched and covered in mud and grass and other debris and my tank top and shorts are tattered.

"The Volturi." Mom breathes as an explanation to the worried faces of my family, Jacob, Seth, Claire, and Quil. My legs give out and I sit on the floor, paralyzed with exhaustion and fear.

Quickly everyone is a blur of action. Jacob comes over and kneels next to me. He holds me in his arms and his warm body is a wonderful antidote to the chilling rain. "Are you okay?" he murmurs, kissing the top of my head.

"I hope." I reply in a whisper.

"I will never let anything happen to you." He vows quietly.

"I know." I kiss his lips for an immeasurable moment, conveying everything we can't put into words right now. He carries me over to the couch and lays me down.

"You have to stay here, okay? Don't try to be a hero. Just stay put. You're what they want. The safer we keep you, the easier it will be to get rid of them."

I want to tell Jacob that there is no way in hell that I am staying in the living room as my family and friends fight for my life out there but my lips can't seem to move as exhaustion begins to overcome me, a process I'm sure Jasper is helping speed along. With one last glimpse of my family preparing to go out and confront my former family, I succumb to the darkness.

Some amount of time later, my eyes open although my mind still feels asleep. Everything is blurry and too bright and my mind can't seem to comprehend what is going on.

A body is suddenly looming over me. Something in me vaguely registers the sound of Claire screaming for Quil. The body kneels down next to me and I recognize the cherubic face.

Frosty lips press against my burning hot forehead. My mind seems to be trying to decide whether to stay here or dive back into unconsciousness.

He winks at me and trails his fingers down the side of my face. "Goodbye, Renesmee. Forever." He whispers with a tone of finality. That same distant something in me that had registered Claire's screams now wonders if I should fear for my life.

But suddenly the blurry figure is gone.

I manage to whisper one last thing before slipping again into the dark. "Goodbye, Alec."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Well, ladies and gents, this is the last chapter. It's not very long or the best yet, but I think it concludes it all nicely. And it is definitely open for a sequel if that would interest anyone! **

"Only eight more boxes!"

Jacob chuckles from the other room where he's been playing the high-tech video gaming system I bought him for his birthday. With hardly a sound, he's suddenly behind me and his arms are around my waist as I attempt to finish unpacking the rest of the china plates Esme gave us for our new apartment which we moved into this morning.

"You don't have to unpack everything today, Nes. We're going to be here a while," he brushes his lips down the side of my throat. Butterflies rush through my stomach and a delighted shudder runs down my body, just like the first time he ever touched me like that. I am pretty sure he will always have this sort of an effect on me.

"I want to, though. School starts in a week and I want this place to be as organized as possible before it gets destroyed with papers and books and things we don't have time to put away. And living here, going to school, this is a new chapter in our lives and I want it to begin as quickly as possible." I tell him, playing with his fingers as they rest on my stomach. His bronzed skin and my lily-white skin is the most beautiful contrast.

"The new chapter began the day fate brought us together in a Seattle café."

I sigh happily and sink into his arms. "I know. I still want to finish though. I just feel like I'm not done with _them_ until I am officially living here."

Jacob knows who "them" is immediately. I don't speak their name anymore, almost as if it will summon them. You know what that they say, speak of the Devil. After the incident at our going-away party, I can now honestly, one-hundred-percent say that I never want to see _any_ of them again. Not even him..

I'm still not quite sure what happened that day, but I do know it came to a stand-off between my family and them. Apparently their tactic was for the four that had been hidden to confront my family whilst he went looking for me. He found me and Claire being guarded by Esme. I remember Claire screaming for Quil but I never heard Esme pleading with him to leave our family alone. He apparently told them both that if they so much as stepped in my direction he would kill me and then do the same to both of them.

Then he said goodbye to me. My family presumes that it was because he realized they were far outnumbered and the idea of taking me was ludicrous. For some reason, I feel like that's wrong. I feel like there's more to his mysterious farewell. Whatever it is, though, I'll never know, nor do I want to. I am done with them forever.

"Hey," Jacob says gently, turning me around to face him, "you are done with them. You've been done with them since you realized who you really are, and who they really are. Junk left in boxes for a few days doesn't mean you're having doubts or you're going to go running back to them. It means there are better things to do." He grins devilishly, pulling me closer with his hands on my hips.

"Have I ever mentioned how much I love you?" I smile back at him, running my hands through his silky black hair.

"Maybe once or twice."

He leans down to kiss me. His warm, sweet lips feel so right. The feeling of his muscular body pressing against mine is like two of the most perfectly crafted jigsaw pieces being fit together. I will never get enough of him, as long as we live.

And that will be a very long time.


End file.
